In The Waves
by Jadalulu
Summary: A little something about a girl in love with the edge of her world. Began as June 2012 Fictionista Workshop Witfit, but Jada failed that nicely so now it's not. ExB
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This isn't beta'd. So...yeah. And there's a gif that helped me write. I'll include the link on my profile. Trust me – you'll want to see it. Also, don't look for any kind of mind blowing literary happenings, folks. I'm not as deep as you might think. Heh.

Prompt: shoulder

**BPOV**

"I don't know why you don't make more of an effort with your hair. It could be so beautiful if you just _did_ something with it. Maybe a nice bob or an updo, Isabella."

I swat her hands away from my hair as calmly as I can, only barely containing the urge to swat _her_.

"There's nothing wrong with my hair, Mom."

My voice is low and petulant and I know I'm wasting my breath. She's too busy smiling vapidly at the people around us to hear anything I'm saying to her. To hear _me_ at all. As always though, that small voice in the back of my mind entertains her. I reach up and smooth the back of my hair.

_What if she's right? I love my hair, but maybe it couldn't hurt to try something new..._

She's been nagging at me on and off for the last hour, only breaking to schmooze with Mr. This or Mrs. That. My clothes, my posture, my nails, my hair. I'm let off the hook when she strikes up a conversation with a group of forty something women. Fidgeting with the skirt of my dress and shifting uncomfortably in my heels, I watch my mother. One hand flattened to her own chest and the other on the forearm of the woman who is showering her with compliments on her work, her face is the perfected epitome of meek. What's meant to convey modesty and embarrassment really means _'never stop'_.

Her posture alone sets her apart from those around her. Renee Swan is never anything less than impeccably dressed. She's a powerhouse in stilettos, never a hair out of place. And she stands even taller in the face of adoration. I wonder what it must be like to take nothing but your image into consideration. Not for the first time, I remind myself that feigning the same concern about my own image just to placate _her_ is no better. Even still, indulging rather than resisting her is a lesson I've learned well.

Renee laughs obnoxiously and I blink, back in the moment and beyond over it. One more glance assures me that she's thoroughly absorbed in the spotlight and oblivious to me.

_Finally. _

I slink away and slip outside through a set of open french doors that lead out to the veranda. Making my way around scattered groups of minglers and between cocktail tables draped in white, I resist the urge to close my eyes. The music from the band filters through the doors, but even over the brassy notes of classical jazz and murmur of conversation, I can hear it.

The rush of water on sand. The shore.

I quickly find the arched doorway off to the side of the veranda. It leads me down a set of stairs and to the ground floor. A few members of the wait staff whisk past me and up the stairs toward the party. I duck out of their way and across the darkened outdoor dining area.

The relief is instant as I reach down and remove my shoes before crossing the bridge that arches over the top of the massive pool. Chlorine taints the smell of the ocean and my feet slap lightly as I pick up my pace. The warm, polished patio is hard and unyielding and feels all wrong beneath my feet.

I stop and stare up at the only thing standing in my way. A tall black wrought iron gate affixed with a small electronic keypad. I give the handle a try but, just as I thought, it's locked. The stone wall on either side of the gate door seems to stretch down the entire length of the club's property and walking back through the party is out of the question. I'd never get past Renee. I'm really only left with one option.

"Shit."

Looking around to make sure I don't have an audience, I toss my heels over the gate. It takes several tries, but I finally find a secure spot in the stone with my foot and hoist myself up. After I've climbed to the top, I spin in place and throw my legs over the other side. When I look down, panic sets in and I contemplate going back. No one knows I'm out here and I'm not the most athletic girl in the world. As if on cue, a burst of obnoxious laughter sounds from the party behind me at the same time that a particularly loud wave roars onto the shore. And just like that, my mind is made up. With a small smile on my lips, I close my eyes... and jump.

It isn't graceful. At all. I land on all fours, ass in the air and face in the sand, but unharmed. I accept it as a victory and stand, righting my knee length black cocktail dress and brushing the sand from my cheek. I look up and see what looks to be a walkway leading to the beach. I give one more glance over my shoulder at the massive stone wall behind me and, even though it's not real, even if it's just for the moment...I bid goodbye to the world on the other side of it.

Anticipation bubbles in my veins as I make my way down the wooden path and I'm running by the time I get to the set of stairs at the end. The sand is warm on the surface, but cooler when my toes sink deeper into it. It's wonderful.

I walk several feet but stop before I reach the water. I close my eyes and just...breathe. A steady wind blows in from the ocean, whipping my hair around my face and neck. The strands slide cold across my skin, tiny slips of relief from the humidity in the air. I relish in the briny smell of salt water and the sound of rolling waves. I tilt my head back and open my eyes. If it weren't for the bright white of the full moon, it'd be impossible to make out where the water stops and the sky begins. It's black on black, with only a thick strip of moonlight running down the surface of the water.

It's beautiful.

I've always loved the ocean, but rarely get the chance to see it. Going to college full time and living several hours away from the nearest beach puts a damper on my indulgence. When Renee asked if I wanted to join her for the unveiling of her latest project, I couldn't resist. Being in her company for the entire summer was the only catch, but standing where I am now, it's hard to be sorry I came.

We've been at The Dunes Ocean Club in Evers Beach, South Carolina for two days already and this is the first chance I've had to slip away on my own. It's the club's grand opening week so I've been up to my eyeballs in introductions and forced schmoozing since we arrived. I glance down the beach in both directions. Not a soul in sight. I smile to myself and smooth my skirt over the back of my thighs before settling down in the sand. With my knees bent in front of me, I wiggle my feet down into the sand until they're both buried up to the ankle like I used to when I was a kid. Leaning back on my arms, I'm determined to enjoy every second I have before Renee discovers I'm gone. I stare out over the dark water and watch as ripples and waves stripe white across the surface of it. It's my very favorite place to be and my eyes close with the peace I feel here.

Just as I'm beginning to doze off, the sloshing of water startles me and my eyes fly open. The sound disturbs the steady ebb and flow of the surf. I'm not sure at first, but I squint my eyes and sure enough...there's a figure in the water. I can barely make it out, but there's definitely something..._coming out of the ocean_?

I panic and jump to my feet, ducking behind a thick patch of dune grass a few feet away. My chest tightens at how foolish I was to come here alone at this time of night. Curiosity gets the best of me though, and I peek around the side of the grass. The figure is closer now, the water only up to mid-thigh as he approaches the shore. _He._ He's shirtless wearing what looks to be dark colored swim trunks. His head is down so I can't see his face. But he's like nothing I've ever seen before. Tall and solid and glorious against the black of the sea. My eyes drop to the waistband of his shorts, which are soaked and hang heavy on his form. Salt water traces every line of his torso and arms, falling from his fingertips and back down into the ocean. It drips from his nose and lips and he raises a hand to wipe it away.

Unhurried, he wades toward the shore, never once looking up from his feet. His arms hang at his sides and just before the surface of water is out of his reach, the fingertips of his left hand skim the top of it. It's a reverent gesture and without thought, I mimic the movement with my own hand over the warm sand beside me. I watch as he reaches around the back of his neck and pulls something shiny from behind him. He's even closer now and I can make out a thin chain around his neck. Moonlight glints off of the small pendant resting over his chest just before he turns and heads away from me down the beach.

Maybe it was insane and dangerous and stupid. And I know it could have easily turned out much different than it did. But even later, after everything that happens, I never do come to regret following that beautiful stranger toward something unknown.

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Again, the gif is on my profile.

Thank you to Tkegl for introducing me to that FAP worthy image and stickybuns for listening to me whine about wanting to write it.

Also, before you flame me, Fold Your Wings is still alive and kicking. This won't change that. Yes, I know that I take forever to update. I love you for your patience and support :)

**~jada~**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **'The Waves' by Elisa is one of my favorite songs. It serves as a great soundtrack for this. Js.

Prompt: field

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**BPOV**

I wait until he's a safe distance down the beach to emerge from my hiding place and before I can overthink it, I'm following him. I stick close to the dunes, completely prepared to dive behind a mound of sand to avoid being caught stalking someone in the middle of the night.

I barely notice the several hotels and houses we pass along the way, but I don't miss a single movement he makes. The lift of his arm to run a hand through his wet hair. The half-hearted kick he gives a sea shell across the sand. His casual, unhurried gait. He barely lifts his head as he goes. I want to know what he's thinking about that's keeping him in his head right now, so I get lost in mine a little. I wonder what his name is and what he's doing out here alone. Is he a local or on vacation? His age and where he was born. If he has a job and what field he works in. The degree to which I want these answers kind of scares me.

I only look back once, after I've been walking for at least ten minutes. The lights from the club are barely a twinkle now and I feel a tugging in my chest. A faint temptation to run back to safety. To her.

I keep going.

Just as I look back to him, he turns to the right slightly and away from the water. I slow my feet, but stay with him. He passes through the opening of a old sand fence with warped, leaning planks. It leads him up a small, worn pathway. When he reaches the end of it and looks up, he stops abruptly and I freeze in place. It only takes me a second to make out the figure standing on the deck a few yards ahead of him. I drop into a crouch behind a patch of sea grass and pray that it provides enough cover. Clenching my eyes shut, I silently berate myself for my current predicament. I'm shoeless and hiding in the middle of the night so that the gorgeous wet guy I'm tailing doesn't see me.

_Way to be single, Bella. _

Once I've gathered the guts to look, I find him on the deck now. It's his profile I'm met with this time and even from this far away, it only adds to his draw. His hair is mostly dry now so it's easier to tell that it's cut closer in back and on the sides, but longer on the top. It hangs over his forehead as he looks down at the person in front of him. He puts one hand on his hip and uses the other to push his hair back. He keeps his fingers fisted in it and rolls his head back on his shoulders just before he laughs. It's loud and real. The sound carries through the backyard and all the way down over the dunes to where I am. The corners of my mouth lift in response. In this moment, I want nothing more than to hear him do that again. To be the cause of it. To see it up close.

The person in front of him doesn't share in his humor, reaching up to slap him in the forehead. He stumbles back a little and I cover my mouth to keep from laughing. But my hand drops and my smile evaporates as he walks forward and bends his knees, bringing himself down to eye level with her. He pulls her to him by her upper arms, but she resists, pushing at his chest and pointing a finger at him. I can't hear anything she's saying but by the way she alternates between gesturing around wildly and crossing her arms over her chest as she rants, he must be getting one hell of a scolding. She's about a foot shorter than him and, from what I can see of her, beautiful. Her slim figure is covered in a long, flowing maxi dress and her blonde hair whips in the wind coming in from the beach. It glows almost yellow in the lights from the deck.

He seems playful in response to her ire, holding both hands up in surrender when she's finished. He says something before poking her in the side and immediately ducking out of the way when she swings at him. He laughs again, quieter this time. With what seems like a little more seriousness, he takes one of her hands and gestures toward the water, telling her something I wish I could hear. They stare at each other for a moment before she nods at him. He pulls her close, slings an arm around her shoulder and kisses her on top of the head. I watch as she begrudgingly lets him lead her through the backdoor of a house I've barely glanced at.

When the lights on the deck go out, I'm left in the sand like a creepy, shoeless fool.

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Creepin ain't easy, yall. See you tomorrow :)

**~jada~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So far everyone is Team Creepy Shoeless Fool and no one is Team Blonde Bitch On The Deck. Raise your hand if you're shocked. :) Again, not beta'd.**

Prompt(s): water, daughter, slaughter

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**BPOV  
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"I bet you're really proud of your mother, dear."

I nod and smile and dutifully agree when all I want to do is tell her that my mother's greatest accomplishment is passing her nose off as the one God gave her. Before I can tempt myself further, I hear Renee's voice behind me.

"Meredith, how are you? I see you've met my daughter, Isabella."

"Bella."

Renee's mask of perfection never falters at my correction, but she glances at me with stern eyes and I know I'll hear about this later. I aim my best sugary smile at Meredith and ignore my mother.

"Yes, I have and she's absolutely beautiful. I was just telling her what a lovely job you've done here," Meredith says, gesturing around the room with her hand.

And just like that, the spotlight is back on Renee – where she insists it belongs. I leave them to it, knocking back the rest of my mimosa and gladly accepting another one when a waiter stops to offer. Looking around the large dining room of the club makes me want to grab him by the back of his crisp black jacket and demand he leave me the whole tray. Table after table of local heavyweights surround me on both sides. Investors, business owners and people of the sort have all gathered for Sunday brunch to celebrate the success of The Dunes' opening. According to Renee, they were booked full three months before opening and clear through next summer. And so here they are, basking in each other's glory. After all, patting _yourself _on the back isn't nearly as fun as letting someone else do it.

"I hardly think it would kill you to be civilized in the company of the governor's wife, Isabella."

She sidles up next to me, careful to keep a pleasant look on her face and a false lilt in her voice.

"It's your own fault. You know how much I hate it when you introduce me as _Isabella_. It makes me sound like a high class hooker."

"Yes, well _Bella_ makes you sound like a low class one, so I win."

She clinks her glass against mine before taking a sip from it and I stifle a laugh. Everyone once in a while I see my mom in her. It's tiny moments like this that almost make the other stuff worth it.

"And don't think I don't know that's your third mimosa. You may be twenty-one, but this isn't The Jersey Shore, _Isabella_. Make your fourth one a water."

See? _Tiny_ moments.

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I wait a suitable amount of time before I excuse myself from brunch. I head back to the VIP villa Renee and I have been put up in for the summer, which only takes a few minutes to walk to from the clubhouse. I want to roll my eyes every time I look at it. It's massive, with five bedrooms and four bathrooms, an eat in kitchen, dining room, living room, game room, office, in ground pool and double car garage. The spanish mediterranean décor stays true to the theme of the resort and though I can't deny that it's gorgeous, it's just...way too much. It screams ostentatious. It screams luxury.

It screams _Renee_.

I'm thankful that she's pretty scarce around here most of the time because today, I'm on a mission. I quickly change out of my sundress and into a bikini, throwing a tank top and jean shorts over it and am out the door. I stand in front of a floor length mirror and hope that I nailed the every day beach goer look.

Twenty minutes later, I'm walking down the beach trying to justify where I'm headed. It's four o'clock in the afternoon on a Sunday. What's the big deal about taking a stroll by the shore? I'm not the only person here either. There are people dotted all up and down the beach and in the water. It doesn't even look like the same place I was last night.

_Last night. _

It took me forever to get all the way back to the villa but by the time I had, Renee had left a note saying she was out and not to wait up. It was strange for her to be out so late, but I wasn't going to question it if it meant not having to explain myself to her. Because what would I say?

_I'm sorry I disappeared in the middle of the night without a word for nearly three hours. You see, I'm pretty sure that Poseidon walks among us and I was busy ogling him from afar and writhing in disappointment as he snuggled up to Aphrodite in a maxi dress. It won't happen again!_

Except that last part would be a complete lie. It's totally happening again.

I feel ridiculous for being so preoccupied with someone I know so little about. Someone whose name I don't even have. But he's been the center of every thought I've had from the moment he walked in out of that water. I tossed and turned all night thinking of him. Hearing his laugh echoing in my ears. And seeing him touching someone else every time I closed my eyes. Just thinking all of it to myself makes me feel crazy, but the compulsion to at least try to see him again overrules my good sense. And it's not like anyone knows what I'm up to. I'm just another body on the beach enjoying the day, right?

My flimsy logic and I slow our steps when I recognize the slight curve in the shoreline. I tell myself that I'll only go back this one time. That I just want to get one more look at him and then I can forget all about him. After pausing a second to compose myself, I slowly walk around the dune. And what meets me can only be described as an Abercrombie & Fitch ad in motion.

A large volleyball net is set up in the sand just beyond the deck I recognize from last night. Shirtless guys and barely covered girls are scattered on either side of it as they scramble around in pursuit of the off white ball flying back and forth above their heads. Several people are seated on the deck and in the sand watching the game. Some are in chairs or laid out on towels and some are standing on the sidelines. There's music coming from somewhere nearby and I spot a few speakers mounted on the back of the house. The song is upbeat and steady and it fits the scene that I've stumbled on perfectly. Laughter and cheering combine with the sound of the water behind me as I realize I'm in the exact same spot I was in last night. Seeing, but unseen.

My eyes only scan the group of bodies for a moment before I see him. As soon as I do, there's a tightness in my chest and a warmth in my belly. He's standing on the furthest side of the net talking to a blonde guy. He's shirtless and wearing a pair of burgundy board shorts. I'm suddenly torn as to whether the moon or the sun does him more justice. His skin is a beautiful shade. Not pale, but not overly tan. Some in between color that I can't think of a name for, but would love nothing more than to feel beneath my fingertips. He's wearing a pair of those mirrored aviator shades that would make anyone else look like a douche, but just kind of...work for him.

I look around, worried that I stand out as some peeping tom, but no one on the beach seems to notice me. There are kids playing in the sand, women laid out on towels tanning and swimmers enjoying the water. Satisfied that I'm not calling attention to myself, I turn back around, greedy for more of him.

This time, he's not talking to the blonde guy from just a moment ago, but to two bikini-clad girls. They both stand in similar positions, one hip jutted out while staring up at him like he's the only member of the opposite sex on the beach. He's smiling politely as one of them speaks, but when she steps closer and pushes her breasts out farther, he shakes his head and points his thumb over his shoulder. There's a group of guys who look to be waiting on him before starting the game back up. The girls pout exaggeratedly and I roll my eyes before remembering that they're actually interacting with him as opposed to watching from afar like a lovestruck social leper.

After the girls giggle and wave at him, they walk away. Instead of turning toward the waiting players, though, Poseidon looks up in the direction of the deck and then back at the retreating twosome. He lowers his glasses down his nose and bounces his eyebrows playfully in the direction of the deck again. I follow his gaze and find an unamused, very familiar blonde in dark shades of her own flipping him the bird. She's leaning back on an adirondack chair facing the game and just like last night, my heart sinks at the sight of her. She punctuates her crude gesture with the tiniest smirk as she shakes her head at him. He laughs and pushes his glasses back up, puckering his lips and blowing a kiss to her while walking backward toward the net. He takes his place in the sand and lifts the small silver pendant from where it rests over his chest, kissing it just before he slings it around so that it rests on his back.

As irrational as it is, his carefree behavior aggravates me. It makes me feel even more pathetic and foolish for developing an infatuation with a stranger. A stranger who is completely oblivious to my existence. I'm angry at the way I've lead _myself _to the slaughter and suddenly he's the last thing I want to see.

It's the very first time that I can't get away from the beach fast enough.

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**Remember when I said creepin ain't easy? Lol But don't worry. This story isn't meant to kick you in the feelings. I'm writing as I go, but I promise this won't be a heartichoke. I mean, I put the boy in aviators. So relax, relate, release :)**

**The song playing when Bella finds Edward is 'Steal Your Heart' by Augustana. LOVE IT.**

**Also – there are some new images on my profile for this story. Js. Js. Js.**

**~jada~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You know the deal. This is unbeta'd. Let us see how our downtrodden stalker is faring.**

Prompt: disdain

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**BPOV**

I stumble down the staircase to find Renee twisted into a yoga pose on the living room floor that I'm pretty sure is illegal. Her hands are flat on the mat supporting her body weight and both legs are extended out in front of her while her head and torso remain parallel to the floor. I blink at her sleepily through one eye and head into the kitchen only to storm back into the living room a minute later.

"Where the hell is my cereal?"

She replies without looking at me as she shifts into a different pose with her legs extended straight up in the air above her.

"If you mean those over processed, sugary balls of cancer then I threw them out."

My other eye is open and twitching now because I know that if she found the Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch that my Pop Tarts have definitely been compromised.

"If you're hungry, I had the wait staff deliver fresh organic fruit and whole wheat flax waffles."

It's the beginning of what I know will be a shit day.

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"You've been in an unusually foul mood lately. What's wrong with you?"

Renee and I are seated on the top floor balcony of The Dunes for dinner later that day. It juts out farther than the lower balconies, hiding the shore from sight. If it weren't for the splashing coming from the pool below us, I'd swear we were floating mid air over the ocean. The view is...stunning. Just cloudless blue sky and the sparkle of the water below it. I sigh and lay my fork down.

"Nothing."

For a moment I think she might push the subject, but she just goes back to eating and scrolling through emails on her phone. It's been three days since I returned from the beach with my tail between my legs and I haven't been back. I've spent the time moping around trying to find something to adequately distract me from going to the beach. I've done laps in the pool, watched countless movies while vegged out on the couch and even tried some of that yoga shit of Renee's. Thank God no one was around to see it because I'm pretty sure I got a charlie horse in my boob.

All of it is useless though and I know it's only a matter of time before I go back. Truth be told, I'm beginning to feel more foolish for the way I've reacted to the situation than anything else. I can't logically be upset at anyone but myself. No one made me follow him. No one made me go back for seconds. No one made me irrationally drawn to him.

Okay, so maybe he holds a little blame in that last one for looking the way that he does but whatever.

The point is that I put myself in that position and need to just suck it up and get over it. I excuse myself once when Renee's phone rings and she waves at me dismissively as she answers it. I start my long trek back to the villa determined to shake this funk.

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I was right. I can't hold any kind of disdain for this place. Or stay away from it for any real length of time when it's so close.

On my way down to the shore, I tripped on the walkway and scraped my knees up pretty bad. I'd contemplated going back, but then remembered the benefits of salt water to wounds. I hadn't stayed in the water long and when I emerged, I'd noticed a long row of white lounge chairs emblazoned with the club's gold emblem that must have been set up some time since I was last here. Not having thought to bring a towel, I tossed my tank top and shorts onto the end of one of the chairs before stretching myself across it. The sun had gone down, a cloudless day giving way to a star-filled night sky. The air here is so different. So clean and cool, and I savor every breath of it.

_'Just ten more minutes'_ turns into twenty, which turns into an hour, which somehow turns into two. I always surprise myself by how much time I can lose here. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I'm startled awake by cold water dripping down my shoulder and the front of my arm. When I open my eyes, there's someone leaning over me, their face above my own. It's too dark to make them out and I scream. The person startles and stumbles backward. I sit up abruptly and grab my tank top and shorts. I'm not completely certain why, but I hold them out in front of me and jump to my feet prepared to fight. Until hear a voice and look at the figure standing frozen with their arms up in surrender.

"Hey, hey. Relax. I'm not gonna hurt you."

I freeze in place and can only blame my drowsy state and the rush of adrenaline for what pops out of my mouth next.

"Poseidon?"

His eyebrows scrunch up in confusion.

"Who?"

I shake my head, feeling like an idiot – first, for calling him that aloud and second, for wielding my clothes like a weapon. I hug them to my chest, thoroughly mortified and in complete disbelief that he's standing here in front of me. Talking to me. And shirtless. _He's shirtless._ And wet. Water is dripping from his hair, chest and arms. It looks like he's wearing the same black shorts from the first time I saw him...and they're hanging just as low. His body is long and toned with just the right amount of thickness in just the right places. He's all broad shoulders and chest above phenomenally tight abs, leading down to an impressively prominent 'v' just above his waistline.

_Sweet Jesus._

"I didn't mean to scare you. I saw you out here by yourself and was just checking to make sure you were okay."

His voice. My God, his voice. It sneaks up on me and melts the tension in my shoulders. It's smooth and a little deep with the slightest, almost undetectable southern inflection to it. I take a little longer than necessary to answer him and he starts talking again – slaying any chance I have at intelligent speech with his next words.

"Sorry I got you wet."

I manage to stifle the laugh his unintended innuendo causes me and clear my throat as I wipe the water off of my arm with my clothes.

"No, it's okay. It was my fault for falling asleep out here."

When I look up at him, he isn't fast enough and I catch the way his eyes roam. You know, lower than my face but higher than my waist. Instead of shying away from being caught, the corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk.

"Someone should tend to those."

My eyes widen in shock.

"Excuse me?"

He smiles, wide and beautiful, and lets out a small chuckle before nodding his head in the direction of my legs.

"I meant your knees. You should get those cleaned up."

I look down at the twin scrapes and back up at him in realization. He smiles even wider, completely aware of how his words twisted me up. I nod at him and give a little laugh of my own. He stares at me, his eyes kind of doing a slow circuit around the features of my face. He takes a step forward and opens his mouth to speak and then-

"ISABELLA? ISABELLA!"

Renee's obnoxiously loud voice pierces the bubble I've only just realized the two of us are in. I turn to see her leaning over the lower balcony of the club, searching the shore. She can't see me. Yet.

"Is she looking for you?"

I sigh and nod without looking away from my mother, entertaining a Scrubs-like fantasy that she trips and falls over the railing and into the swimming pool below her.

"Isabella, huh?"

His voice is closer now and when I look up at him, the blue of his eyes are the first thing I see. He stares down into my brown ones and smiles at me again. It's a miracle I find my voice, but I do.

"Bella. I prefer Bella."

He holds his hand out to me and I slip mine into it without pause, though neither of us shake. He just holds my hand for a few seconds before giving it a light squeeze. It feels intimate and purposeful and sends a chill down my spine.

"I'm Edward. And I think I do, too."

He backs up a few steps causing our hands to separate before smiling at me one last time and turning to jog down the beach.

And with my mother still screaming like a banshee behind me, I'm left on the beach alone once again. Once again shoeless, and probably still a little creepy, but feeling a lot less foolish.

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**Heh. Waveward got game.**

**See you tomorrow :)**

**~jada~**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: As always, this is unbeta'd. So blame me for all the boo boos.**

Prompt: clutter

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**BPOV**

Renee is none too pleased at having to come searching for me in the middle of the night. She makes sure to drive the point home during the walk back to our villa.

"For God's sake, Isabella, do you know what time I have to be up in the morning? I should be asleep right now, not searching up and down the coastline for you. And what in the hell do you think you're doing down there at this hour? And _by yourself? _Do me a favor and try not to become a statistic before the summer is over."

Her overdramatic lecture goes in one ear and out the other. I make sure to stay one step behind her because if she sees the dopey smile on my face, it'll make things worse. It was _him. _My Poseidon. I rub my palm over my arm where he'd dripped water on me. It's silly, but I almost expect the spot to feel different. To bear evidence of him. I'll scoff at myself later for how absurd that is, but right now I just don't care.

We make our way inside and Renee locks up but stops me as I reach the foot of the staircase.

"Don't do that to me again, Isabella. I mean it. The least you could have done was called."

I start to roll my eyes and give her a sarcastic reply, but the look on her face stops me. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she actually looked...worried. It throws me off so I just nod at her.

"Okay. I'm sorry."

She walks past me and up the stairs.

"And take a shower. You smell like seaweed."

I just shake my head and smile as I follow behind her, both of us parting ways at the top of the stairs toward our rooms. She always has to have the last word.

It isn't until I'm under the hot spray of the water that something Renee says hits me.

_'The least you could have done was called.'_

I rush through the rest of my shower and wrap myself in a towel before grabbing my shorts from the foot of the bed. I search through the pockets and find the small key for the front door of the villa, but not my phone. I drop the shorts in the hamper and the key on my desk before plopping down on my bed trying to retrace my steps. I grab the phone from the base on the nightstand and dial my cell number on the off chance that maybe I'd dropped it in the house somewhere. I open the bedroom door and lean my head out in case it should be downstairs somewhere ringing. When I hear a male voice – his voice in my ear, I nearly fall over into the hallway.

"Bella's phone."

Careful not to attract any attention from Renee, I close the door softly and run like hell into the bathroom.

"So you're a pervert _and_ a thief?"

I can tell he's smiling as he speaks. And then I'm smiling and rolling my eyes at myself in the mirror in front of me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You took my phone," I accuse him lightly.

"I _found_ your phone."

"You _found_ it?"

"Yes. I saw it lit up in the sand after I left. I tried to go back, but you were already gone. Incidentally, you have eleven missed calls from The Warden."

I snort at the name I programmed Renee under.

"Um, yeah. That's my mom."

"Uh oh. Did you get yourself in trouble down at the beach?"

I stare at myself in the mirror and remember his cocky, boyish smile. His eyes. His hand around mine. His voice saying my name. His laugh. The deck dweller that's more than likely his other half. And the fact that the thought of her still doesn't make the butterflies in my stomach stop.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I did."

He's oblivious to the double meaning in my words.

"Well I hope you're not on restriction, because I really feel I should do my civic duty and return your lost property to you."

I smile at his mock seriousness.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. It's only right."

"Okay. Fine. When should this return of my property take place?"

"How about tomorrow? At the same place? Noon?"

The smile on my face is so wide that I can't even look at my reflection, but I compose myself enough to answer.

"Yeah. Sure. I'll be there."

"Good. Because it's getting hard not to check this thing for dirty pictures."

My laugh bubbles out loudly and I slap my hand over my mouth, mindful of Renee but also not wanting to sound like a giggling idiot.

"Goodnight, Bella."

I can tell he's smiling.

"Goodnight...Edward."

I hit the end button on the phone and cut ties with my composure, launching myself into a full on Pretty Woman bed flop – complete with flailing legs and girlish squeals.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Renee leaves for lunch at the club at eleven thirty the next day and I wait a sensible two and a half minutes before locking up and heading for the beach. Instead of scaling the gate like I've been doing, I go to the front desk in hopes that I can get a keycard. When I request it from the receptionist,her voice is polite yet disinterested as she asks me for my name and room number.

"Bella Swan. I'm in-"

"Oh! You're Miss Swan's daughter? Oh, well. Here you are!"

She abandons her computer search and thrusts a black key with gold lettering at me. I'm startled by her quick change in demeanor and slowly slip the card from her hand.

"Um... thank you?"

"Oh, it's not a problem at all! Would you like anything else? I can have some lunch brought out to you down by the water if you'd like."

She's eager and bright eyed all of a sudden while I'm confused and a little overwhelmed by how she's suddenly treating me.

"No, that's okay. But... thank you."

"You're welcome. If you need _anything_ at all, just let us know, Miss Swan."

I back away and nod at her before heading out to the pool area. _Strange. _I know mom's interior design firm is pretty successful, but it doesn't exactly make her royalty. Suspicion stirs in the back of my mind, but it's quickly forgotten when I remember why I needed the keycard to begin with.

I see him as soon as I step off of the walkway. He's got his back to me looking out at the water and the first thing I notice is that he's wearing a shirt. It's gray and has a faded logo on he back that I can't make out. My immediate thought is that even though it looks good on him, I _know_ that it looks even better _off_ of him. His dark khaki cargo shorts reach his knees and he's barefoot. He has both hands in the front pockets of his shorts and the silver chain around his neck catches the sun as he looks down at something he pulls from his pocket. I slide my glasses up into my hair and peek over his shoulder.

"I knew you were a pervert." He spins around startled. "Looking for the dirty pics, huh? Busted."

He flattens a hand over his chest and aims an unconvincingly hurt expression at me.

"I... I'm wounded."

I shake my head at him and we smile at each other as he steps forward to hand me my phone. I look down at it and notice the solid white battery icon up in the top right hand corner of the screen.

"You charged it."

He places his hands back in his pockets and shrugs.

"We have the same phone, so..."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I slide my phone in my pocket and we both just stand there without speaking. I'm trying to think of something to say to him, but he beats me to it.

"Did you want to grab some lunch with me?"

I look up at him to see an almost shy look on his face. It's different from how I'm used to seeing him and I try not to let the possibility that he's interested take root in my mind. He's been nothing but friendly, if not a bit flirtatious. Some people are just like that though. Just because he's charming doesn't mean he's available. He could just be offering to be courteous. The disappointment that the thought causes is significant but I push it away, content to live in the moment.

"Sure."

He smiles and juts his thumb over his shoulder.

"Do you mind if we just swing by my place real quick so I can grab my shoes? It's just down the beach."

_We._ He said _we._ Oh how I wish I could go back in time and tell shoeless creeping me that less than a week later, he would refer to us as _we. Get ahold of yourself, Bella. He asked a question._

"No, not at all. Lead the way."

_Not that I don't already know it._

We start down the beach and I pull my glasses back over my eyes.

"So, where are you from?"

"What makes you think I'm not from here?"

He gives me a once over and then shakes his head.

"You're too pale to be an Evers girl."

I give his upper arm a shove. It's not enough to budge him, but he plays along, stumbling a little and laughing. I try very hard not to wrap my hand around his bicep and squeeze it. Or make out with it.

"Gee, thanks."

"It's not a bad thing. I'm just saying."

He gives me a rueful smile while eying my legs and I shake my head at him admonishingly.

"Do you work at The Dunes?"

I feel a sudden rush to keep him for myself. In whatever capacity that is, I don't want to taint this with Renee and her - _my_ - world. I decide not to lie, but to keep my answers vague instead. "Uh... no."

"So you're staying there?"

"Yep."

"Ah, you're a tourist then?"

"What? No!"

I guess it's _technically_ true, but the word just rubs me the wrong way. He continues on as if I haven't denied it.

"Wait, let me guess. New York? Ohio? Colorado?"

"No! I'm not really on vacation. I just came with my mom. She's working here for the summer and I love the beach so..."

I shrug and trail off, wondering when he'll decide I'm too lame to bother with.

"So where are you from then?"

"Washington."

"D.C.?"

"State."

"Wow. No wonder you're so white."

I can't help but laugh at his ribbing. Eager to know more about him, I turn the tables.

"Okay, local. What about you? What's your story?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Are you from here?"

"Born and raised."

"I'd have given anything to live somewhere like this when I was a kid."

"Did you grow up in Washington?"

"Ah ah ah. We're on you right now."

"Oh man, would you look at that! We're here. Your intrusive line of questioning will just have to wait. Damn."

He leads us to the sand fence I watched him walk through all those nights ago.

"Very funny. Don't worry, I'll fit them in."

When I step onto his deck, I half expect blondie to jump out and clothesline me. It feels surreal to be standing here. He unlocks the back door and motions for me go in first, leaving it open. The slap of the wooden screen door against the frame startles me and when I turn around, I notice a mirror hanging on the wall with a mosaic border around it. I take a step closer and run my fingers over the smooth stones it's made of. There are hundreds of them, in varying shades of blue and green.

"Sea glass."

"Yeah, my best friend makes them."

"It's beautiful."

"Just one second and we can go. I'll be right back."

"Okay."

He disappears down a hallway to the right and I take in the kitchen around me. There's little to no clutter and extremely clean. It's open and spacious with an island in the middle and bright, turquoise cabinets. The backsplash that runs the entire length of one wall between the bottom of the cabinets and the countertops looks like it's made of the same glass as the mirror. Just as I step forward to take a closer look, the screen door slaps against the door frame behind me followed by an irritated female voice.

"Damn it, Edward! I told you about all the fucking sand all over the- who the hell are you?"

I turn to find the deck dweller. In the flesh. She's staring at me with the lightest, iciest blue eyes I've ever seen. Her pale blonde hair is draped over one shoulder in a braid and her arms are wrapped around two brown paper grocery bags.

"Hi. I um... I'm-"

"Do you have to scream everything you say, Lee? Jesus."

Edward walks up and takes the bags from her, placing them on the island and walking back to stand next to me. It's mannerly and I swoon a little. Blondie follows his movements, her eyes bouncing back and forth between us a few times before she arches a brow at him.

"I wouldn't yell if you'd listen the first dozen times I tell you shit. Now - who the hell is she?"

He rolls his eyes at her and makes introductions.

"Rosalie, this is Bella. Bella, this is Rosalie – my best friend and roommate. Lee, be nice."

Roommate! Roommate and best friend! Hot damn, they're not an item! I step forward and offer my hand to her, the smile on my face probably a little too enthusiastic than what's called for.

"Nice to meet you."

Ignoring my outstretched hand, she scans me from head to toe very slowly before looking me straight in the eye.

"You're wasting your time. He's gay."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Ain't she a charmer?**

**TY to the reviewer who came up with 'deck dweller'. I love it!**

**See you tomorrow.**

**~jada~**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Unbeta'd, yo. Last we read, Creeperella was meeting Waveward's bestie. Let's check in...**

Prompt: scooter

**BPOV**

"I really am sorry about Lee. She takes some getting used to."

We're seated across from each other on the patio of a small oyster bar not far from his house. It's a mom & pop kind of place, with red and white checkered paper place mats and those white plastic lawn chairs you see on people's porches. It's a far cry from what I'm used to with Renee, but it's actually really charming. The hostess called Edward by name and we sat ourselves before he ordered something called grouper nuggets for us. He assures me that I can't leave Evers without having tried them. He's already apologized once for Rosalie on the walk here and it makes me feel bad that he feels he needs to again.

"Really, it's okay. She's..."

"A bitch?"

The word doesn't sound demeaning when he says it. It's almost affectionate, like it's just part of their dynamic. I can almost hear him calling her that and see her chasing him around the house. The pang of jealousy I feel is irrational and ridiculous, but what else is new?

"It's okay. You can say it. I forget that not everyone is used to her."

His reaction after she 'outed' him was testament to just how used to her he is. He just laughed and reached over to rifle through the bags on the island, asking her if she got the good chips or not. She slapped his hands away and proceeded to put the groceries in their designated places. Meanwhile, I was frozen in place by her words because Edward batting for a team I'm not a member of just isn't something my mind is capable of processing. It wasn't until he asked if I was ready to go that I snapped out of it and followed him out the backdoor.

"She's definitely...different."

"Lee's not that bad once you get to know her. She just doesn't do well with new people."

He smirks and takes a swig from his beer bottle. The way his lips purse against the green glass and his adams apple bobs as he drinks wipes out my conversation skills so I settle for just concentrating on not drooling. When he catches me staring, I grab my own beer and take a longer than necessary swig.

"Just so we're clear here, I'm not gay."

I nod, but remember the brief moment of doubt I had just after she'd said it. I took in the immaculately clean kitchen again and the several different paintings and furniture that actually matched in the living room. That, combined with his hair and the overall perfection of his body, and you can see where I'd panic a little.

"That's good to know."

"I just didn't want there to be any misunderstanding about that."

The purposeful way he locks eyes with me makes my stomach twist with nervousness. It's the confirmation I've waited for. _He's interested._ But now I feel unsure about what it is that he's interested in. I wonder if he looks at me and sees a sure thing. An out-of-towner only here for the summer. An easy lay.

"Are you okay?"

"No, yeah. I'm fine. Just... a little tired."

"You mean you didn't get enough sleep on the beach last night?"

His teasing distracts me from my doubt.

"I was working on it until this weirdo came and dripped water all over me."

"It's okay. You chased him off with your scary ball of clothes."

I smile and shake my head at him, loving his playfulness and hating how sad I feel at the possibility of him only being out for a quick piece of ass. The waitress comes with the grouper nuggets and fries. And he was right – they're delicious. I eat almost a whole basket myself. After ribbing me about sharing and being glad he ordered two baskets, he picks up where he left off.

"What were you doing down there all by yourself anyway?"

I shrug and wash the bite in my mouth down with beer.

"I forgot my towel so I was trying to airdry. I must have been more relaxed than I thought. What about you? What were you doing out there?"

He looks down at his food and it's the very first time he seems hesitant. He speaks calmly.

"I was swimming."

Of course I know this, but there's no way in hell I'm telling him that.

"At that time of night? Do you have a death wish?"

"No, I just...it's just something I do sometimes. I don't know."

He shrugs and pops a nugget in his mouth before rubbing his hands together to rid them of crumbs. He seems shy. It looks cute on him so I bail him out.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-two. You?"

"Twenty-one. What's your last name?"

"Cullen. You?"

"Swan. What do you do, besides late night swimming and stealing people's phones?"

"I'm a pilot. What do you do, besides attracting danger on dark beaches and losing personal property?"

I almost choke mid-beer sip and blurt my words out in surprise because...

"You're a pilot?"

"Well, I'm not a jet fighter or anything, but yeah. You know those annoying banners that you see advertising pizza joints and marriage proposals?"

"Yeah."

"Chances are, it's me up there."

He says it so matter-of-factly, like it's no big deal. _I'm_ actually not really sure why it's a big deal besides the mental image I'm having of him thousands of feet in the air. Wearing aviator glasses and a headset. Speaking pilot speak and manipulating the joystick in his cockpit...

"Wow."

My voice is reduced to a dreamy sort of whisper and he elaborates, completely oblivious to the fantasies I'm creating in my head.

"It pays the bills and I can definitely think of worse things to be doing. What about you?"

"Um...I'm still in school actually. Cornell."

"Wow. Cornell. That's impressive."

I shrug and try to smile, because it's not how I'd describe it.

"So I _was_ right before – New York. What are you studying?"

"Economics."

"And you hate it."

I'm caught off guard by the way he calls me out.

"What? No! It's a great school."

"And you look like you're constipated when you talk about it."

"Ew! That's disgusting."

He just stares at me steadily and raises his eyebrows. I relent, slumping further in my chair.

"Fine. I hate it."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"My mom, I guess. She owns her own interior design firm and has this big idea that I'm gonna take over the business world some day."

"And you don't want that."

He watches me with knowing blue eyes, confident in his observation.

"No, I don't, but I can't exactly complain about getting a top notch education."

He hums his acknowledgement and I suspect he's biting his tongue about the situation. It makes me wonder if I'll know him long enough to hear what it is he's holding back.

"And what about your dad? What does he think?"

"I wouldn't really know. He left us when I was in high school."

"Damn. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He's with his new wife back in Washington. It's not like he's dead. What about your parents? Do they live here, too?"

"Uh...no. My dad passed away a few years ago and my mom lives in North Carolina."

I want to crawl under the table and never come out. Or maybe knock myself unconscious with my beer bottle.

"Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

He waves his hand at me and smiles again.

"It's okay. You didn't know, Bella."

The waitress arrives with the ticket then and I realize I don't have my wallet. Edward tosses some cash on the little black tray and jokingly assures me it won't put him too far in the hole. We leave from the back side of the patio straight into the foot traffic of the sidewalk, dodging a guy on a scooter and a mother chasing after her kids. He has his hands in his front pockets and bends his elbow out a bit to nudge my arm.

"Besides, it just means you owe me."

The insecurity I'd felt earlier rears its head, but I beat it back – responding in a way that he can appreciate.

"Maybe I'll buy you the good chips."

It might just be the best decision I've ever made. Because he throws his head back and laughs, loud and real.

I got to hear him do it again.

Up close.

And because of me.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Creeperella really never stops creepin on him, huh? THANK YOU to RMacaroni for her help this chappy. You know, Mac. You know. Also, I apologize for the lametastic use of prompt.**

**See you in a bit – one more update today!**

**~jada~ **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: You know the deal. Unbeta'd. Waveward and Creeperella continue...**

**prompt: **none (This was supposed to be Sunday's update, which is a reflection day for the witfits.)

**BPOV**

Even though I told him it isn't necessary, he insists on walking me all the way back to The Dunes.

"So how long have you and Rosalie known each other?"

"Oh, man. It feels like forever, but I guess it's only been about three years. We were set up on a blind date, but it was never like that with us. I thought she was stuck up and she thought I was immature. Once we knew that we weren't interested in each other romantically, we just kinda relaxed. We clicked somehow as friends. So when my mom left for North Carolina last year, I had the house to myself and Lee was busting her ass to make the rent on her condo. It just made sense that she move in."

"So you could have had a beachfront house all to yourself, yet you let your _female_ best friend move in with you. That has to cramp this whole smooth bachelor charm thing you got going."

"Wait, you think I'm smooth?"

I ignore his question with a roll of my eyes.

"Any siblings?"

"Nope. You?"

"Nope. Only child."

"Boyfriend?"

His curiosity makes me want to do a cartwheel in the street.

"Nope. Girlfriend?"

"Nope."

I nod and do a semi-decent job of containing my grin. When I look up at him, I see that he isn't trying at all to hide his. The sun shines through his hair from behind and glints off of the silver chain peeking out from the collar of his shirt. My fingers flex at the thought of pulling it out and getting a closer look at it.

For the rest of the walk, we alternate asking one another questions. Some of them are serious and some of them playful. I learn that he's allergic to cats, hates broccoli and once broke all ten toes doing a cannonball_ off_ of his bed.

"_Off _of the bed? Why would you do that?"

"I was six. And bored. I'm pretty sure my mom went completely gray by the time I was ten."

I tell him that I have no allergies, loathe olives and took ballet as a kid.

"Ballet, huh?"

"Yeah. And dance. And piano. And gymnastics and ice skating and tennis. I was the clumsiest kid and my mom thought it would help my coordination."

"Did it?"

"Not at all. I can still trip on air."

"I don't know. We've covered a lot of ground and you're still upright."

"Give it time. You'll see."

The smile he gives me is slow and wide and ends with a little lip bite.

"I hope so."

I learn that he can't cook to save his life and that he's named after his late father. I tell him that I can cook, but hate it and that my mom named me after a Spanish supermodel she saw in a magazine while she was pregnant.

We continue on, trading funny stories and silly, useless facts about each other. I hate talking about myself, but he has an amazing way of relaxing me enough to do so. Maybe it's the way his eyes squint with genuine interest when I speak, like he's memorizing every word I say. Or how contagious his laid back demeanor is. Maybe it's just me wanting to believe he's as interested as he is and reading too much into it. Whatever it is, it keeps me talking. And when we reach the front of the club, I turn to stop him before we get any closer. I don't want him coming back to the villa. The farther from Renee he is, the better.

"Well, this is me."

He whistles as he takes in the clubhouse behind me.

"Fancy. I haven't seen it since they finished."

I just shrug because it's all for show and I couldn't care less. If anything, standing in front of it makes me feel embarrassed. Like it's a representation of me and I hate it.

"Are you busy tomorrow night?"

His question pulls me form my unease.

"I'm not sure, why?"

"We're having a party at the house. Nothing big, just cooking out with some friends. You should come."

"Oh, I should?"

"I think so, yes."

"And why is that?"

He steps closer to me until I have to tilt my face up toward his. We're not touching, but it's the closest we're ever been. We lock eyes for several seconds and my skin prickles in anticipation of his words.

"I think you're gonna drive me crazy, Bella Swan."

I can't think of a single word to say to him, so I don't even try. I just stare up at him and wonder if he has any idea what he's doing to me.

"Say you'll come."

He speaks quieter. A little more serious, like my answer means something.

"Okay."

He smiles and leans in. And I think I might be paralyzed. With the softest pressure, his lips press against my right cheek. When he pulls away, I _know_ he knows what he's doing to me. His eyes sparkle as he backs away and I shake my head at him.

"I'll see you then."

He gives a little salute and a wink before turning and walking away. I start toward the guest villas and my phone chimes with a text. I somehow know who it is before I look.

_You ever gonna explain my nickname?_

It's then that I see what he's programmed his number under: Poseidon.

Fuck. Me.

.

.

.

**Sorry this was late. And kinda mild. I needed it to lead into the next chappy. And they just met. Give em time to learn some basics before they get horizontal :)**

**~jada~**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Unbeta'd as always. I'm trying to catch up after falling behind for two days! EEP!**

Prompt: right

**BPOV**

"But I have plans tonight."

"Plans? What plans could you possibly have? This dinner is important and you'll be there. End of discussion, Isabella."

She closes the bathroom door behind her and I maturely walk into my room - after windmilling my arms in the air where she stood a few moments ago. I throw in the miming of strangulation and flip her both birds for good measure. It's supremely childish, but it makes me feel better. My silent, unseen rebellion.

I flop down on my bed and eye my phone, dreading what I have to do. I briefly entertain the thought of sneaking out while Renee is in the shower, but I know it'll just make shit worse. If I play along and give her no reason to, she's less likely to tighten the reins. And Edward would give her all the reason in the world to do so.

_Edward._

I'm disappointed at the thought of canceling on him. I'd spent the rest of last night and all of today looking forward to seeing him tonight. Excited that he seems to want to know me in the same way I want to know him. Of course the doubt crept in as well. _Am I being too easy about this? Shouldn't I play harder to get?_ _Why is it so easy for me to lose myself with him? _In hindsight, it probably wasn't too smart of me to follow a virtual stranger back to his place alone, but I'd been so caught up in him. Like he and his place were already familiar to me in some way, no doubt due to the events that lead me to him in the first place. It's not the soundest logic, I admit, but it felt right at the time. It still does. I'm not sure if that makes me naïve or stupid or maybe a little of both, but I've decided that I haven't had enough of Edward Cullen.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Something is different about Renee tonight. She'd stood at the bottom of the stairs wailing my name until I was forced to hop down with one shoe on while trying to put in my earrings. When I'd popped off with a sarcastic comment, she'd ignored it on the way out the door. The walk to the clubhouse was quiet, devoid of her normal nagging about my hair or clothes or posture. And now that we're seated in the formal dining hall of The Dunes, she's fidgeting and adjusting the place setting and silverware in front of her. Out of nowhere, realization sets in.

Renee is nervous. Renee Swan doesn't _do_ nervous. No wonder it took me so long to put my finger on the difference in her. Panic strikes me like a blow to the gut. Someone must be dying. Or dead already. I start to frantically scan the room, as if the answer is staring me in the face. When I see a well-dressed man I don't recognize striding toward our table, my stomach sinks. _Oh, no no no._ Without taking my eyes off of him, I lean forward.

"What exactly is this dinner for?"

Her eyes fly up to mine and then catch the movement of the man as he reaches us. My voices lowers to a harsh whisper, desperate for her to tell me this isn't what I think it is.

"_Mom!"_

She shoots me a slightly apologetic, but mostly pleading look. It means 'please' and 'I'm sorry' and 'behave' all at once. I just stare dumbly as she stands and embraces the man's upper arms as he kisses her on the cheek.

"Renee, you look beautiful."

And then I'm pretty sure that I've entered an alternate reality, because Renee Elise Swan...blushes. I raise my hand and flag a waiter, holding my empty wine glass in the air. With my index finger, I indicate the desired level of alcohol – somewhere near the top of the glass. He nods and looks like he's stifling a laugh. If it weren't for the situation across from me, I might have laughed with him.

"And this must be the young woman I've been hearing so much about."

I blink up at him and take in his face. He's somewhere around Renee's age – early forties, I'd guess, with light brown – almost blonde - hair and brown eyes set beneath dark brows. He's perfectly tanned – not too dark, not too orange. He's a handsome man, but I've seen those before. He smiles at me pleasantly while keeping one arm wrapped around Renee's back. I have to say, they make one good looking couple.

I give him a year, tops. Two if he's well-behaved.

Renee clears her throat and widens her eyes at me in the universal signal for 'snap the fuck out of it'.

I raise my hand to him and smile politely.

"Isabella, this is William Clearwater. Will, this is my Isabella."

As he takes my hand, I correct her.

"Bella."

"It's nice to meet you. And your mother was right. You are just lovely."

Renee cuts her eyes at me as she slides into the chair _William _pulls out for her. I roll mine at her because I'm still annoyed at having to cancel on Edward tonight. The only consolation is that I might still have the chance to see him. When I'd sent him a text to tell him that I couldn't make it, he'd only taken a few minutes to reply. He'd said that he understood and to let him know if I was finished early enough to still swing by. He didn't seem offended, but you can't exactly read emotion in a text. I'm bitter about missing out on Edward _and_ being sideswiped this way by Renee.

The waiter arrives with the wine, but William covers the mouth of his glass and asks for a different bottle – in French. At a beach club. In South Carolina. I barely hold in my snort. He turns his attention to me then, resting his elbows on the table.

"So, Isabella," _Strike one, buddy... _"how do you like Evers Beach so far?"

My mind shows me the sun-kissed boy from down the shore and I smile.

"It's amazing."

"I'm glad to hear that. I wish I'd been here to welcome you myself, but I was in California on business. I'd love to take you and your mother to the yacht club soon. Show you the sights."

Renee smiles and agrees.

"We'd love to. Wouldn't we, Isabella?"

"Apparently we would."

If William picks up on my sarcasm, he doesn't show it. The waiter arrives with the wine and we order our meals. Throughout dinner, I hear about William's various adventures in real estate development and it's apparent that he loves to hear himself speak. He owns several properties here in Ever Beach as well and I'm only mildly surprised that The Dunes is one of them. I suddenly understand why my association with Renee transformed a disinterested receptionist into a grade A ass kisser yesterday. And Renee's insistence that I join her here this summer also makes a little more sense now. My being the last to know is something I can't wait to discuss with her.

By the time we're finished, I'm antsy and watching the clock on the wall.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Isabella. I look forward to getting to know you better this summer."

"It was nice to meet you as well, William."

He doesn't seem as put out as I do with the full name thing. Too bad. He and Renee head to the bar before she pulls on my arm and whispers in my ear.

"I'll be late tonight, so lock up. And don't think we won't be discussing your behavior tomorrow."

I slap on a sugary sweet smile as William tries to pretend he isn't watching us.

"Can't wait."

**.**

**.**

**.**

It's past ten o'clock by the time I leave the clubhouse. I look down at my knee length sleeveless sundress. It's dark blue with white polka dots, so it's not too formal. And it's chiffon, so I shouldn't be too hot. _Oh, screw it._ Deciding that I don't want to waste more time going back to the villa to change, I slip off my wedge heels and send a text to Edward as I walk across the bridge over the pool.

_Does that invitation still stand?_

His reply comes less than a minute later.

_I'll meet you halfway :)_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

**This chappy was low on Waveward, but we needed some development on other things. Also, I wrote it under the influence of a hovering mother in law. Have mercy on me.**

**Visuals for this chappy have been added to my profile :)**

**~jada~**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Unbeta'd, though I'm sure you get the idea by now. You all want Renee to play in traffic and take William with her, I see. I love you guys. **

Prompt: zero

**BPOV**

He's in swim trunks again, white this time with a black v-neck t-shirt. It's completely casual but like everything I've seen him in, effortless. As if he's perfected the look without meaning to. We're walking toward each other and I don't miss the way his eyes drop from my face, all the way down to my feet and back up again. Hell, I just did the same thing to him. We stop across from one another and he surprises me by leaning forward and kissing me on the cheek. My eyes close when I feel the slight stubble of his cheek as he slowly pulls away.

"Hi."

I open my eyes at the sound of his voice and find him smiling down at me.

"Hi."

I barely hear my own voice over the sound of the water crashing on the shore. He's so close and I smell the smoky aroma of barbeque and something else. It's faint and masculine, like deodorant or cologne that's faded from the day. He nods his head in the direction he came from.

"You ready?"

I nod and he falls in beside me as we walk. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and I switch my wedges to my left hand so I don't whack him with them.

"I'm glad you made it tonight."

"I am, too."

"There aren't too many people there. Most everybody has to work tomorrow, so it's not too crazy. Just Lee and a few others."

"Sounds good."

I nod, sensing that he's trying to put me at ease and we continue down the beach for a few moments in silence. I get the sudden urge to feel the water and veer in its direction. The sand goes from dry and tepid to wet and cool beneath my feet. The water rushes cold over my toes...my feet...my ankles...all the way to my knees. I don't expect it to come so high so I grab the hem of my skirt and bunch it between my thighs as I squeal, running back to where the tide can't reach.

"Holy shit!"

Edward laughs at me as I hop in place trying to shake the chill from the water. When we begin walking again, he reaches out and barely grazes the side of my skirt with his index finger.

"You know there's no dress code for this thing, right?"

I bump his shoulder with my own and he laughs again.

"Shut up. I came straight from dinner with my mom."

"Ah. The Warden, huh?"

"One in the same."

"Is she really that bad?"

"You have no idea."

I run a hand through my hair and shake my head at him.

"Hey, if you're not up for tonight it's okay."

He says it thoughtfully and I have no doubt that if I bowed out he'd be understanding about it. He must have no idea how badly I want to be where I am right now.

"No, it's actually perfect. My mom..."

I trail off, unsure how to say this or if I should even say it at all.

"She and I want very different things. It means we bump heads. A lot."

He nods down at the sand before looking at me.

"Different things. Like Cornell?"

"Yeah, that's one of them."

"She wants it for you, but you don't."

"Bingo."

"Yet you do it anyway."

I shrug my shoulders.

"It's complicated."

He's quiet for a beat and just when I'm about to change the subject, he speaks.

"What _do_ you want?"

He's so sincere in his curiosity. There's no expectation from him to say the 'right' thing or feel the 'right' way. It's relieving and overwhelming at the same time. A million tiny answers and a few really big ones come to mind, but I hold them back. It feels like too much to talk about. Too heavy. Instead of listing them off, I smile up at him in hopes that he'll take my bait.

"Right now, I just want to forget about it all."

He bites, bowing at the waist and gesturing to the worn sand fence in front of his house with a sweep of his arm.

"Right this way."

**.**

**.**

**.**

The only light outside his house is coming from the lit tiki torches stabbed into ground around the deck. There's no one out here but over the low music coming from the outdoor speakers, I can hear conversation and laughter from somewhere inside the house. I look around and take in more detail than I did the last time I was here. The tops of a few mismatched tables are dotted with several abandoned red plastic cups and beer bottles and a couple of brightly colored beach towels are thrown over the wooden rails of the deck to dry.

I nearly trip over something and reflexively grab onto the closest thing to me – which happens to be Edward's left bicep. His hand shoots out and cups my elbow.

"Whoa. Shit, are you okay?"

I should probably be kind of embarrassed that I almost busted my ass in front of him, but I'm too preoccupied with the way his bicep just flexed beneath my hand. And how to get him to do it again. With a strength I didn't know I had, I steady myself and let go of his arm.

"Yeah. I'm good, thanks."

He bends down to scoop up the offending object – a volleyball - with one hand before tossing it into one of the adirondack chairs behind him. He smiles sheepishly and motions to the open back door, which he opens for me to go through first.

"Sorry about that. I keep telling them not to leave it up here. Come on in."

Whatever conversation was taking place ceases when the screen door slaps shut behind us. Rosalie is sitting on a stool at the island. She's smiling and about to take a pull from her beer bottle when she looks up and sees me. Her smile dies and she rolls her eyes. She doesn't seem surprised, but dismissive. Edward's palm grazes my back lightly, pulling my attention from his moody roommate.

"Guys, this is Bella. Bella, you remember Rosalie." She smiles patronizingly and wiggles her fingers in a wave. I ignore her and listen as Edward introduces everyone else.

"And that's Alice..." He motions to a slight looking brunette sitting on top of one of the kitchen counters. Her hair is cut into a long layered bob and she's wearing a neon green bikini top and cut off jean shorts. Her smile seems genuine, so I return it with my own. "...Jasper..." A guy with dirty blonde hair gathered in a knot at the back of his head is perched on a chair that's tilted back on two feet. The sleeves of his dark plaid collared shirt are rolled to his elbows and his jeans are wrinkled. He nods his head and gives me a tipsy salute with two fingers to his forehead. I smile at his silliness and say hello. "...and Jake." The last guy is tall and darker-skinned with broad shoulders and black hair. He's shirtless, barefoot and wearing what looks like a skirt or maybe a table cloth around his waist. It goes down to his knees and is bright red with tropical flowers all over it. His size and the large patterned tattoo sleeves that cover both arms might be intimidating if it weren't for the gigantic, friendly smile on his face. He waves, bounces his eyebrows up and down and gives Edward two thumbs up.

"Not bad, palangi, not bad."

Edward gives him the finger and everyone laughs, save for Rosalie. It seems good natured enough, so I don't feel offended. Alice hops down from the counter and walks over to me, offering her hand to shake.

"Ignore the boys. They're drunk and, well...stupid. Nice to meet you, Bella."

I take her hand, grateful for the welcome.

"Are they always like this?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Zero class, this bunch."

Glancing over her shoulder, I see Jasper with his head tilted back drunkenly trying to touch the tip of his finger to his nose. He pokes himself in the eye and laughs before falling backward out of the chair. Edward whispers a curse under his breath and brushes lightly past me to help his friend while Jake just points and laughs. Glass breaking cuts through the lightness of the moment as everyone turns in the direction of the sound. Rosalie is throwing empties into a garbage bag at her feet. She ties it in a knot and picks it up before heading out the backdoor without a word.

Jasper breaks the silence as he snickers.

"Ooooooooooooooh. Somebody's maaaaaaaaaad."

Alice rolls her eyes and sighs.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna scrape my husband off the floor and take him home. Hopefully we run into each other again, huh?"

She looks between Edward and I and winks at me. He's too busy helping Jasper up to see her and I shrug, not wanting to look as hopeful as I feel.

"Uh, maybe."

Alice grabs her bag and keys from the island and follows behind Jake and Edward, who each have one of Jasper's arms slung around their necks. Edward looks over to me and mouths that he'll be right back. I nod and Jake pauses to quickly lean in and whisper something to me as they pass. Confused, I smile and nod, making a note to ask Edward about it later.

I sit down on one of the stools and after a couple of minutes, I hear the sound of car doors slamming and engines starting. After a few more minutes pass and Edward still isn't back in, I start toward the backdoor but stop when I hear his and Rosalie's hushed whispers coming from the deck.

"_Oh please_. Like we don't all know why she's here."

"You don't know anything about her, Lee."

It's the most serious I've ever heard him.

"I know all I need to know. Look at how she's dressed, Edward."

I look down at myself and suddenly feel stupid for not going back and changing earlier.

"Since when does having money make someone a bad person?"

"She's trouble, Edward."

"Don't do this, Rosalie. I've always been there for you. _Always._ I know how hard it's been-"

"_That_ doesn't have anything to do with _this_."

"It does and you know it, Lee."

They're quiet for a few seconds before Rosalie speaks.

"I don't like her."

"I _do_. Don't fuck it up for me."

Deciding that I've pushed my luck far enough, I slink quietly away and back to the stool. Obviously I could tell Rosalie doesn't care for me, but to actually overhear her part in that conversation pretty much sucks. I want to wish I'd never eavesdropped, but without her words I wouldn't have gotten _his._

"_I do."_

The vulnerable, pleading way that he'd said them to her is what caught me off guard. And then I recall his words from yesterday.

_"I think you're gonna drive me crazy, Bella Swan."_

All his glances. All his smiles. Every purposeful flirtation and the time we've spent together so far. It all flashes through my mind at once and the fear that he wants only one thing from me begins to lose its power.

I look up when I hear the screen door. Rosalie walks through the kitchen and into the back of the house without so much as a glance at me. I hear a door slamming from the direction she stomped off to a few seconds later and turn around to see Edward standing just inside the backdoor.

"Shit. How much did you hear?"

He's running a hand through his hair and looks nervous. It's out of character for him and I can't bear to lie.

"Most of it."

His chin drops down to his chest and he walks over to the fridge and opens it. He pulls out two beers and holds one up in question. I nod and he kicks the door closed, carrying the bottles over and holding the screen door open.

"One last drink before you run screaming for the hills?"

It's meant to be funny, but I can hear the worry in his words. I slide down off of the stool and walk over to him slowly. He's fucking adorable and Rosalie has definitely misjudged me. _And_ underestimated my tolerance. Being spawned by Renee Swan means I don't scare easily. Determination spikes inside me as I slide one of the bottles from his hand and stare up at him.

"Hills? I don't see any hills."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**CATFIGHT! Someone get me some Vaseline and a baby pool. Sorry Waveward didn't come out to play yesterday. It was Mr Jada's birthday and I was busy being dutiful. Heh. And the prompt was used lamely. Again. Ugh. **

**Palangi refers to a white person in Samoan :)**

**New visuals are up on my profile!**

**See you tomorrow!**

**~jada~**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Unbeta'd as usual. Everyone wants Lee floating face down in the Atlantic, yes? Good, because that means I'm writing her right. Lol **

Prompt: relinquish

**BPOV**

I leave him standing in the doorway and sit down on the top step of the deck. Within seconds he's settling in next to me. The breeze blows my hair back and I take a deep breath of ocean air. The moon is bright against the darkness of the water and the waves are crashing loudly against the shore. It reminds me of the first night I saw Edward. The music is still filtering through the outdoor speakers - something mellow and slow. I wish I could freeze this moment.

"You really love the beach, don't you?"

I turn to him and realize that he must have been watching me the whole time.

"I do, yeah. We used to take road trips all the time when I was younger, but now I'm so far from it. I probably only see it once a year. You're lucky to have this in your backyard."

He smiles and looks out at the water.

"I don't think I could ever live anywhere else."

The music changes and I strain to hear the familiar beat of the song. When the words about lying in a bed and hearing a clock tick begin, I laugh a little and turn to him.

"Cyndi Lauper?"

He rolls his eyes and smiles as he rubs his cheek across the sleeve of his t-shirt over his shoulder. I remember the rough and soft of it against my skin and nearly shiver.

"Rosalie's a music snob. Hates Top Forty and pretty much all pop music except for old shit like this. And a lot of indie stuff. She makes these random play lists for parties."

He shrugs and takes a drink from his beer. The white label on the neck of the bottle against the pink of his lips causes me to lick my own. The shine left on his mouth makes my fingers twitch. I want to touch him so badly.

"Listen, I'm sorry you had to hear that earlier."

He sets the bottle down on the step between his feet and clasps his hands together. His elbows are propped up, one on each knee and he drops his head down. When he lifts his face a little to look at me, I remember that I should probably respond.

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault."

"Lee is...difficult about some things. It's not without reason, but she had no right to say what she did about you and I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, really. I'm not upset about it."

He doesn't look very placated, but nods anyway. I decide to lighten the mood, so I move to bump his shoulder with my own. At the same time he turns to say something to me but his words die off when our faces end up about two inches apart. We both freeze and I really, really hope I don't have funky beer breath because there's no way he can't smell it right now. His eyes drop to my mouth so I look down at his. I wonder if that drop of Stella is still there and what it tastes like mixed with him. I'm not sure who starts it, but we're both leaning in now. He tilts his head just a fraction and the intent in the small movement gives me goosebumps. _He's gonna kiss me._ I swallow and close my eyes and then-

"NO SLEEP TIL..."

Guitar chords rip into the silence of the moment and my eyes fly open. I jerk back and stand when Edward jumps to his feet and heads in the house mumbling under his breath.

"_Fucking Rosalie..._"

The song stops and a moment later is replaced by something upbeat, but much calmer than The Beastie Boys. Edward comes back outside, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. We look at each other, stay straight faced for about two seconds and then bust out laughing. I'd love nothing more than to have it back, but the moment is over. Even without being here, Rosalie was able to ruin it.

He walks closer to me once our laughs have faded to just smiles. Picking up the volleyball on the chair beside him, he tosses it back and forth from palm to palm.

"You any good with that thing?"

I never did get to see him play...

He smiles wickedly at me but doesn't answer and realization dawns on me.

"I meant the ball, jackass!"

He laughs and brushes past me as he walks down the steps and into the sand below.

"I do okay."

I follow him down and over to the net that's set up several feet away from the deck. We're in almost the exact spot I saw him standing in while talking to skanks one and two last weekend. He stops with his back to the net and turns to watch as I approach him. The wind blows my skirt tight against the front of my thighs. He notices. I stop right in front of him and he looks down at me with a small smile.

"Have you ever played before?"

I shake my head no and he walks around to stand directly behind me. My breath hitches when I feel him take a step closer. The wind blows again, sweeping my hair over my left shoulder and leaving the right side of my face exposed. Edward leans his mouth down until it's just next to my right ear. His words are barely louder than a whisper and his breath is warm over the flesh of my cheek and jaw.

"My favorite part about the game is the serve."

His words are innocent, but the husky way he speaks them sparks a warmth in me.

"Are you right handed?"

I nod and exhale shakily as the fingertips of his left hand touch just below my left elbow and slide down the back of my forearm. He wraps his hand around my wrist and lifts it until my arm is extended straight out in front of me. His command is a gentle whisper.

"Open your hand for me."

I uncurl my fingers. Without releasing my wrist, he lifts his right arm and places the volleyball in my open left palm. The action causes his chest to press into my back and the pressure and warmth are delicious. When he's sure I won't drop the ball, he lets it go.

"Now, you want your left leg here," He reaches down and gently nudges the back of my knee with a stroke of his thumb, guiding it a step ahead of my right leg in the sand.

"Keep your weight on your right leg."

I do as he says and he resumes his original position behind me. Lining his left arm up just beneath my left one, he places his palm flat against the back of my hand and his fingers against the back of mine to help me support the weight of ball. He lifts my right hand so that it's just beneath the volleyball and my breath quickens as he softly coaxes my fingers into a fist.

"Tightly."

Placing my balled fist just beneath the ball and our joined hands, he brings his mouth closer and I'm not sure if I imagine the brush of his lip on my earlobe or not. His shoulders close in around me and at some point, his necklace must have slipped from beneath his shirt. I can feel the coolness of the pendant pressed against the back of my bare shoulder.

"Before you can serve, it's all about your stance. Focus on your form. And not just your arms. You have to put your whole body into it. "

I couldn't move if I tried and it's the last thing I'd attempt to do anyway. The music from the speakers changes again. It's a slow, bluesy ballad. I've never heard it before, but it's suddenly my favorite song in the whole world. This time, I _know_ I don't imagine the way his lip grazes my earlobe.

"Your delivery takes a lot of practice to get right. You have to know how _hard _or _soft _to hit it."

_Oh my God._

Slowly, I tilt my head to the left. He reads my cue right and presses his left cheek against my right one. I decide to relinquish my self-control and sag back against him. In an instant, the fingers of his left hand link through mine and the volleyball falls to the sand. Our fingers lace together and he slowly brings both of our arms to rest across the front of my stomach. His right hand comes up to cup the left side of my face and I close my eyes when I finally have both of his arms around me. He turns my face to the side and tilts my chin up. When I open my eyes, he smiles like it's the first time he's ever seen me.

"You need to stop me if you don't want this, because that's my play list. The Beastie Boys aren't gonna interrupt again."

I laugh lightly and he smiles, but then looks at my mouth again and sobers.

"I really, _really_ don't want to kiss your cheek right now."

I can't stand it anymore. I reach my hand up and pull him by the back of the neck while lifting up on my toes. We both part our lips a little before they touch and finally..._finally_ I'm tasting him. It's warm and wet and little Stella. He makes a sound that's kind of a moan and kind of a sigh of relief. I swallow it and turn in his arms, still on my tip toes. He wraps an arm around my waist, holding me a couple of inches above my height as we learn one another this way. His fingertips slides up my jaw and into the hair at the base of my head. Goosebumps. He presses them into the back of my neck slightly while his thumb strokes across my jawline. It all causes my head to tilt back further and I moan when the tip of his tongue reaches in to tease my own.

The kiss deepens and eases over and over until I'm slowly lowered back onto my feet. My hands are fisted into both sides of his shirt just over his ribs. One of his hands is buried in the hair at the base of my neck and the other is resting on my hip. When we break away, we're both breathless and near panting. He blinks down at me and I want to do the moonwalk because I'm pretty sure I just kissed Edward Cullen senseless. The victory dance will have to wait though, because he ain't too shabby either and I'm completely boneless. Taking a deep breath, I somehow manage to form a few words.

"Okay, I admit it. You're smooth."

And then, for the second time since we've officially met, it happens again. He throws his head back and laughs. It's loud and real and for me. I get to feel the vibrations of it against my chest.

And when he's finished, I get to taste the smile that I put on his lips.

**.**

**.**

**.**

***hangs panties from volleyball net and collapses in the sand***

**I have a fascination with the way Stella bottles look. Can you tell? Also, this is the first kiss I've ever written, so be genteel with my virgin pucker. Wait...**

**'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper plays first.**

**'No Sleep Till Brooklyn' by The Beastie Boys interrupts them.**

**'Into The Ocean' by Blue October is what Edward plays after they're interrupted.**

**'Try Me' by James Brown is what's playing when they kiss. (OMG THIS SONG OMG)**

**~jada~**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: As usual, no beta on this one. I think half of my readers got pregnant from that volleyball lesson. I'm still looking into it.**

Prompt: (none) Today is a Witfit reflection day, but I love you guys so here you go...

**BPOV**

Our 'volleyball lesson' lasts several more minutes before we come up for air.

"I really don't want to, but I should go."

The hand that's still beneath my hair and wrapped around the back of my neck pulls me back to him until we're nose to nose.

"Do you have to?"

He doesn't give me the chance to answer, dipping his head lower and kissing my lips one...two...three times. And softly. So softly that I lose my train of thought and deepen it, sliding my hands up his chest and gripping the tops of his shoulder to steady myself on my toes. I indulge for a little longer before pulling away and pressing my forehead to the middle of his chest.

"I have to go. If I don't beat Renee back, she'll form a statewide search party."

He chuckles and I lift my head.

"You laugh, but I'm serious. She'd probably ship me back to New York and you'd never see me again."

He wraps an arm around my shoulder as we walk back to the deck, tucking me into his side as I rest my palm against his stomach. It's my new favorite place to be.

"You're right. Let's go. I can't have you leaving before I see you trip over air. And the chips," He nods in mock seriousness. "You still owe me the good chips."

"I'm choosing to believe that this is your way of telling me you can't live without me."

"Whatever gets me the Cape Cods."

I give him a punch in the gut and he laughs.

"Ass."

Once we're inside, Edward looks at me like I'm crazy when I tell him I'm fine to walk back. He ushers me inside and disappears down the hall. When he comes back, it's with a set of keys and a faded navy blue hoodie.

"You might need this."

I take it from him but don't understand until I see his car. It's an older model Jeep Wrangler, black and topless with a tan leather interior... and no doors. Hence the hoodie.

When we pull up to the front of The Dunes, I hesitantly give him directions to the villa, cringing as he parks on the curb and cuts the engine.

"So... this is me."

"Wow. Which wing is yours?"

And just like that, my nervousness is gone. I don't know why I feel the way I do about him seeing where I'm staying, but I'm grateful for the way he makes me forget about it.

"Hardy har."

I go to unbuckle my seatbelt, but he stops me.

"Wait!"

My hand freezes as I watch him unbuckle and rush around to my side of the car. He leans over and nudges my fingers aside, pressing the red button himself. The belt loosens across my chest, but he stays where he is - his face hovering just over mine and looking very happy with himself.

"You know, because I couldn't open your door for you."

I drop my head back against the seat and shake with laughter. I can feel an addiction to this happiness that he brings me. It makes me want to tackle him right here in the street.

He walks me to the front door and I turn to face him. He's one step below me, which puts us at an even height.

"Thank you for tonight, Edward. I had fun."

"Even though my friends were drunk and my roommate insulted you?"

"You made it up to me with the volleyball lesson."

He smiles and pinches the fabric of my dress just over my stomach, pulling me to him until our chests are touching. My heart beats a little faster as he stares at me in a way I haven't seen him do yet. He isn't smiling, but his eyes are bright and intense.

"Tell me I can see you again."

"You can see me again."

"Tell me you want to see me again."

"I want to see you again."

"Tell me why you called me Poseidon that night."

He catches me off guard for a second, but then I remember what Jake whispered in my ear tonight. I smile at him in challenge.

"Tell me about Starfish."

His eyes widen and his mouth drops open.

"How do you even _know_ about that?"

"Drunk friends, loose lips."

He's adorable when he's speechless and I'm coming to realize how rare of an occurrence it is. But as always, he recovers. I can see in his eyes the moment he decides to go for it.

"You."

"Me what?"

"You're Starfish."

"What are you talking about?"

"Go out with me tomorrow night and I'll tell you."

I don't tell him that he didn't need any leverage to get me to agree to that.

"Fine. Deal."

"Deal."

"I should go inside."

"Okay."

There's no awkwardness or trepidation. We both move in at the same time for a soft touch of the lips.

"Goodnight, Starfish."

"Goodnight, Poseidon."

.

.

.

I wake up wearing the same smile that I'd fallen asleep with hours earlier. I also wake up on my stomach with half of my face smashed into the mattress, so it gets a little uncomfortable. I flip over on my back and stare up at the ceiling, resuming my stupid happy grinning. I'm still wrapped up in Edward's hoodie and having a part of him here with me makes me feel... special, as corny as it sounds. Like it's tangible proof that we're... whatever it is that we are. That last night happened. I touch my lips and the pads of my fingers are nothing like the feel of his mouth on mine. I close my eyes and conjure up the memory of his taste, ecstatic for more. My swooning is interrupted when Renee knocks loudly on my door and shouts through it.

"Rise and shine, Isabella! I expect you at the breakfast table in twenty minutes!"

I throw the comforter over my head and ignore her. For the next nineteen minutes.

When I get to the kitchen, there she sits - fully dressed and scrolling through her phone. I plop down in the chair across from her and she taps a few keys before setting the phone aside and looking up at me.

"We need to talk about last night."

"Yes, we do."

"William is very important to me, Isabella."

"So important that I'm just now hearing about him?"

She narrows her eyes at me.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"Yeah, you wouldn't. It might have been nice to know the truth about why we're here. Is he why we're staying in _this place_? And why couldn't you just tell me you were seeing him?"

She's folds her hands on top of the table before straightening her back and clearing her throat. It's the posture she takes on while talking business and the next words from her mouth nearly knock me from my chair.

"Will has asked me to marry him, Isabella. And I've said yes."

I just stare blankly at her.

"We've set the date for the end of July. You're my daughter and Will is going to be your stepfather. He was in California on business until yesterday, but now that he's here I'd really like the two of you to spend some time together."

_You've got to be kidding me._

"Are you shitting me?

"No, I'm not. And watch your mouth."

I roll my eyes and grab a croissant from the tray in front of me, ripping a piece off and shoving it in my mouth while looking out the window.

"I didn't appreciate the way you behaved at dinner last night, Isabella."

I whip my head back to her, tuck my mouthful of croissant into my cheek and fire back.

"Well, I didn't exactly appreciate being ambushed that way! _'I'm your daughter'_ and yet I was apparently the last one to know you're diddling the boss man! Then you tell me you want me to play house with a total stranger?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full. And stop being so melodramatic. It wasn't a conspiracy to keep you uninformed. He didn't propose until a few nights ago and I didn't see the point in bringing him up until I knew for sure it was serious."

I widen my eyes at her incredulously because surely she felt serious about him - before he hit one knee - if she said yes.

"How long have you been seeing him, Mom?"

"For about a year and a half now. We met when the firm was consulted about the design job for The Dunes."

A whole year and a half and not a word to me. _Nothing._ Still, I can't remember ever having any real conversation about her previous... flings before. In fact, this is the first time I've ever heard her explain herself to me at all. For any reason. It's startling to see so much human emotion from Renee in the span of twenty four hours. She's dated, but never cared one way or the other whether or not her boy toys and I got along. I remember the way she'd been with William the night before and the reality of the situation starts to hit me. I've never seen her this way before. Not since.. .Charlie. My anger wavers when I remember those days. When I think of the way things were then. How hard it was.

"Are you for real with this, Mom? You're really gonna marry him?"

"Yes. And I really wish you'd give him a chance. I love him, Isabella."

No sarcasm. No commands. No nagging. She actually sounds... heartfelt.

Well... _shit_.

.

.

.

A few hours later, I'm once again seated across from William Clearwater and my mother. This time it's at Evers Beach Yacht Club and Marina. It's about a fifteen minute drive south of the club and damn near the size of it. We've already had lunch and are waiting one of William's business partners to arrive. I glance down at my watch for the thousandth time in five minutes, desperate to take my leave. I've had to sit through the entire meal of William basking in his own glory and inviting everyone else to join in. The way Renee looks at him is so strange to see. He opens doors for her and pulls out chairs and kisses her hand. She smiles at him like he hung the moon and I feel like the odd man out, trying to catch up. Seeing her this infatuated over him is kind of scary. Not to mention the ridiculous door knob she's wearing on her left ring finger now.

"Ah, there he is now. Renee, you remember Garrett."

A man with salt & pepper hair who looks to be in his mid to late forties greets Renee with a kiss on the cheek.

"And Isabella, this is my business partner and good friend, Garrett Webber. Garrett, this is Renee's daughter, Isabella."

I don't even correct him on my name because I feel dread settle deep and heavy in my stomach when I notice a second body approach the table.

"It's a pleasure, Isabella. And this is my son, Seth."

The guy standing next to Garrett has his hands in the pockets of his navy blue cargo shorts. He looks like your typical upper society beach boy. Brown hair lightened a little by the sun, tanned skin and that cocky, bored-with-everyone-but-myself look on his face. He's wearing an orange Lacoste shirt and pair of brown Sperry's. No socks.

_Dear God, kill me now._

I ignore Seth's quiet hello and glare at Renee, barely containing myself from lunging over the table and choking her. She smiles cheerfully at me and then up at our new guests.

"I think it's so great that you two are meeting. You know, Isabella doesn't know anyone here her own age. Maybe you could show her around, Seth."

I begin to shake my head at her, but Garrett chimes in and suddenly he's there in my violent fantasies beside a strangulated Renee.

"That's a great idea. Here, son. Why don't you show Isabella around Her Majesty. You two kids probably don't want to sit here and listen to us old folks talk shop anyway."

He pulls a set of keys from his pocket and Seth accepts them with a polite smile.

"Sure thing, Dad."

Everyone turns to me for my reaction and I'm backed into a corner. I stand from my chair without a word and head for the doors that lead out to the docks. I come to a stop at the end of one of the long piers and I can hear him behind me. I cross my arms over my chest and try to find a little bit of the peace that the water usually brings me.

It doesn't work.

I'm fuming mad because I know damn well that Renee knew about this little setup and didn't tell me. It's just one more thing added to the long list of ways she disregards me and what I want. Making decisions and plans for me like I'm a child. And to think I was feeling guilty this morning for not being more cooperative about this whole William thing. I'm so worked up inside that I jump when I hear Seth's voice behind me.

"So, Will Douchewater's gonna be your new daddy, huh?"

I spin around and erupt.

"Fuck off, pretty boy. And you can take your boat and shove it up your ass. I'm not interested."

He blinks at me a few times and then... smiles. He smiles at me. Confused and a little wary, I watch him closely as he approaches me. He twirls the keys around his fingers and comes to stand next to me.

"Okay, okay. I got it. No boats. Anything else you're touchy about?"

I roll my eyes at him.

"How about entitled rich boys who flash their fancy toys around to get laid and think they're better than everyone else?"

"Says the girl standing on the dock of the yacht club - whose mother is wearing the heart of the ocean on her finger and nine hundred dollar shoes."

Being compared to Renee stings like a son of a bitch and my anger flares.

"Up yours, asshole. You don't know anything about me!"

He looks at me like I'm deranged and holds both index fingers out in front of him, pointed toward the sky.

"_Again_ – says the girl who's slinging assumptions around about someone she just met."

I open my mouth to argue, but then Rosalie's face pops into my mind and I stop. Because he's right. I'm taking my frustration with Renee out on him. I'd decided exactly what kind of person he was before he'd ever uttered a word. I'm just like Edward's demon bestie. _Ouch._

I shift awkwardly, suddenly feeling stupid. I know I was in the wrong, but for some reason feel defensive anyway. I wave a hand up and down between us.

"Well your outfit doesn't exactly help things, you know. How was I supposed to know you weren't one of _them_?"

He looks down at his own clothes and then at mine.

"We gonna go three for three here?"

And damn it, he's got me again. I look down at my navy blue sailor shorts and frilly, peach silk top. And then back at him. And then back down again. _Holy hell, we actually match._

I sniff and turn my nose up at him.

"Whatever. At least my shoes are cuter."

He laughs and despite my foul mood only minutes ago, I can't help but laugh with him. He holds a hand out and dips his head down dramatically.

"Seth Webber. And though you may find my wardrobe questionable, I assure you I'm not an asshole."

"Bella Swan."

I hold my hand out but snatch it back just before he can reach it.

"Do you really think William is a douche?"

"Biggest one I've met so far."

I lower my hand and we shake.

"Then I may be able to overlook the threads, Seth."

**.**

**.**

**.**

***hides under Waveward's deck***

**New visuals on my profile. Um...see you tomorrow?**

**~jada~**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Beta-less times lie ahead. You've been warned. Some of you are concerned about Sperry wearing Seth attracting attention away from Waveward. *whistles and practices my serve***

**Thank you guys VERY MUCH for being patient for this chappy. There was an unexpected delay when my brother was hospitalized and some other fam stuff came up. He's out of the hospital and okay. I'm convinced that all of your prayers and well wishes for him had a part in that. I'll never be able to tell you how much that means to me. Ever. **

Prompt: (none because I've fallen so behind I can't remember...lol)

**BPOV**

We're walking up the front steps of the villa after lunch at the marina when Renee pounces. I'm surprised she waited so long.

"So it looks like you made a friend today."

There's entirely too much suggestion in the way she says 'friend'. I close the front door behind us and roll my eyes.

"Seth? Yeah. He's okay, I guess."

I shrug, downplaying my opinion of Seth to keep from encouraging Renee. Truthfully, after he broke the ice by calling me out on what a bitch I was being, we actually got along really well. It was a pleasant surprise to be wrong about him. We bonded over our mutual distaste for the social circles our parents traveled in and it felt good to talk to someone who's part of that world, but unplugged from it as well. He made me laugh and I suggested alternative choices in footwear. We parted ways after exchanging numbers and making plans to hang out later in the week.

Renee continues as if I haven't spoken as I start for the stairs.

"He comes from a really good family, you know."

Stopping halfway up the staircase, I grab the railing with both hands and bounce in place.

"Oh, Mama! Is this the part where you we gather my dowry and you groom me for womanhood?"

She scoffs and I laugh a little because she hates when I don't take her seriously.

"I'm being serious, Isabella."

See?

"About _what _exactly? We're just friends."

"Well, how do you _know_? You've only just met him."

I think of Edward's grin.

His laugh.

His hands.

His lips.

His tongue.

The way I can still feel his arms around me if I concentrate hard enough...

"Because I just know, Mom. Okay?"

She yammers on about Seth's respectable parents and fine education, but I'm too busy with thoughts of seeing my beach boy to care. I wave a hand at her and continue on my way upstairs.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Edward text earlier to let me know he'd pick me up at five thirty, which worked out well because Renee left with William just before five o'clock. I stayed up in my room to avoid any unnecessary interaction with the Douchewater. If I'm being honest, seeing them together kind of freaks me out. I'm not impressed by him in the slightest, but Renee is reduced to a lovestruck teenager around him. She looks at him with an adoration I've never seen her aim at anyone. Well, except for Charlie.

The doorbell rings, saving me from an unwanted trip down memory lane. I take one last look in the mirror before slipping on my ballet flats and grabbing my phone off the bed. When I get down to the foyer, I stop to catch my breath and pat my hair down a little so I don't look like I took the stairs three at a time. Even though I totally did. I flatten both hands against the door and lean in to peek out the peephole. A tiny little distorted Edward stands on the porch facing the door. It looks like he has his hands in his back pockets, but pulls one out abruptly and brings it up to his mouth. I think he might have... did he just... check his breath? I turn away and laugh as quietly as I can because I was sure people only did that in movies. He's so fucking adorable.

When he rings the bell again, I shake off my laughter and open the door.

I couldn't tell through the peephole, but he's wearing a beanie. It's gray and thin and fits him snug around his head but droops in the back. His hair and ears are hidden beneath it, making the angles of his face seem more pronounced to me. A smile spreads across his face, like he's happy to see me and isn't holding back. It strikes me in this moment that it's my favorite thing about him. He's carefree in everything he does and says, as if the possibility of being another way hasn't occurred to him. Like an alternative way of being doesn't even exist.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"You look beautiful, Bella."

It's the first compliment he's given me outright. Well, the first one that wasn't laced with innuendo. It reduces me to a stereotypically blushing girly girl. I look down at my feet and tuck my hair behind my ear.

"Thank you."

"You might wanna grab a sweater or something. You're gonna need it for later."

His cryptic comment causes as much excitement as it does curiosity and now that he mentions it, the temperature has dropped a little since this afternoon. I open the front door back up and motion for him to follow me in.

"Oh, okay. Come on in. I'll be right back."

I close the door behind him and tell him I'll be right back. Once in my room, I grab a simple white cardigan off of a hanger in the closet and turn to leave when I spot the hoodie he'd loaned me the night before. It's thrown over the arm of a chair in the corner of the room and I wonder if it's too bold a move...

"Ah, screw it."

I toss the cardigan back into the walk in and pull the hoodie over my head. When I get to the top of the staircase, Edward is still standing at the bottom of it but his head is turned as he glances around the house. When he realizes I'm back, he looks up and zeroes in on the hoodie. Or my chest. Either one is a win here.

I fidget when I reach him, glad to have made it down without tripping and humiliating myself in front of him. The expression on his face shifts, the smile fading until it's only in his eyes. He stares down at me and it's like he's working through something. I can see it play out across his face, but I have no idea what it is. Gazing at me intently, he slowly steps forward and raises both hands until he's cupping both my cheeks. I rest my hands on his forearms and wait for it. I know it's coming and warmth settles in around me as he closes the distance between our mouths.

We don't close our eyes until we have to. Until we're too close to see each other. But by then it doesn't matter because I can feel him. His body heat and his breath on my face. When our lips touch I sag against him, dizzy as I taste him again. His body is solid and strong above mine and I use my grip on his arms as leverage to lift myself farther up and into him.

Never interrupting the rhythm of the kiss, he tilts my head just a fraction and I feel his tongue. Just a light brush of it across the edge of my upper lip before he pulls it away and continues to kiss me... slow and soft. By the time we break for breath, I'm practically hanging off of him. I blink up at him stupidly when he pulls his face back and smiles.

"Ready to go?"

I have to remind myself that he means _out the door_, not _up the stairs_ and nod, not confident enough to voice my answer in the wake of whatever he did to me just now.

Between the cardigan and the hoodie, I think I chose wisely.

**.**

**.**

**.**

We've been driving for almost twenty minutes and Edward refuses to tell me where we're going. We're outside of the area I'm familiar with and the touristy clusters of shops and high rise hotels stopped a few miles back. I don't see many cars on the two lane road we're on and we pass an occasional house or gas station, but not much else. It's the farthest I've been from the shore since I got here.

The wind whips my hair around my face and I close my eyes behind my sunglasses, tipping my head back on the headrest and listening to the beat of the music coming from the radio. We talk a little, but not just for the sake of it. It doesn't feel awkward at all to share silence with him.

My eyes open when the Jeep slows and Edward makes a right, taking us down a road that's more narrow. I push my sunglasses up on my head and look up. The road is shrouded on either side by tightly packed bamboo trees. They're so close to the roadside and reach so high that the leaves lean inward, creating a canopy of shade over us.

"You're not some psycho with eleven personalities that's gonna scalp me and hide my body in a barrel, are you?"

He looks thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head.

"No."

"Well, that's a relief."

"I'd have ten personalities. Or twelve. I got a thing for even numbers."

I cut my eyes at him and he laughs.

"So when are you gonna tell me about this Starfish thing?"

Abandoning his grip on the gear shift, he wags his index finger at me.

"Ah ah ah. I said tonight. I didn't say _when_ tonight."

"What _can_ you tell me, exactly?"

He stares out the windshield for a few seconds and just as I'm beginning to think he's ignoring me, he speaks without looking at me, all traces of silliness gone.

"That I've been thinking about bringing you here since the night we met."

I swallow thickly, my mind wiped clean of any coherent thought. Because... _damn_, that was a good answer. He glances over at me and smiles. Even with his glasses on I can tell it's a little bit shy, like maybe he's second guessing his words. And I really hope he isn't, but I don't know what to say to him. I smile and he returns it, reaching up to wrap his hand around the back of my neck beneath my hair. With his eyes back on the road, he rubs his fingers back and forth across my skin a few times before stroking my cheek with his thumb, giving one last light squeeze of his hand and gripping the gear shift again. The gesture feels so intimate. More intimate than the kisses we've shared. Like an expression of something that he doesn't have the words for yet.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, I don't say anything but I can't pull my eyes away from him as he drives. The sun peeks through in tiny flickers of brightness from above, causing little slivers of light to blink and flash over us. He's wearing black aviators this time and the arms of them are tucked beneath his beanie. My eyes follow the way the burgundy long sleeved thermal shirt he's wearing fits him. And damn, does it _fit him_. Not too tight, not too loose. It conforms to the lines of his shoulders and arms and chest. The sunlight catches on the silver around his neck and thought the small, round pendant is resting on top of his shirt, I can't make out what it is.

The car slows again and I'm snapped out of my staring as he stops in a tiny dirt parking lot in front of what looks to be an old warehouse. It's metal and has a flat roof. There's a small side entrance and a very tall and wide door that spans across the entire front of the building. The kind you lift and lower, like on a garage, only much larger. When Edward cuts the engine, I slowly turn to look at him in question. He looks up at the old building and smiles at me in excitement.

"We're here."

He hops out of the car and bounds around to my side. I'm still confused as to where we are and what we're doing when he leans over and unbuckles me the same way he did last night, offering his hand to help me out of the car.

"Come on. I promise – no barrels and only one personality. That I know of."

"Very funny."

I take in our surroundings once I'm out of the car. There's nothing but clusters of trees and bushes here and there. Other than that, it's just flat field in every direction I look. Edward reaches into the back of the Jeep and pulls out a small cooler and a duffel bag. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he looks at me and nods his head in the direction of the building.

"Come on. We gotta hurry."

"Hurry? Why?"

My jerks from left to right and behind us, on the lookout for a masked killer or a rabid animal. He snorts at my paranoid behavior and leads me around the side of the warehouse where there's a well-worn dirt path.

"Stand down, killer. You don't have your ball of clothes with you."

"Make fun of me if you want, but I could have inflicted serious harm if I'd wanted to. What are you doing?"

When we reach the back of the building, he sets the cooler down by his feet and backs up several paces. He doesn't answer me, instead sliding the duffel bag off of his shoulder and lifting it up with one arm before heaving it toward the top of the warehouse. It disappears from sight and a second later we hear a clanging thud when it hits the roof. Realization sets in and I widen my eyes at him.

"The roof? Are you _crazy_?"

He tucks his glasses into his back pocket and walks toward me with a shrug of his shoulders.

"What?"

"What do you mean, _what_? I'm not going up there!"

"Why not?"

"Uh, because I'm too young to fall to my death from a roof in the middle of a field in South Carolina?"

I don't understand why I need to explain this to him. Isn't it obvious?

"Bella, you're not gonna fall. Now, what kind of traction do you get in those things?"

He points down at my black ballet flats as if the discussion is just over.

"What? Why? What does that have to do with anything?"

He tucks his lips in and looks like he's trying not to laugh as he nods at something behind me. I turn around to see a rusted metal ladder attached to the back of the building. I stare at it for about two and a half seconds, blink once, turn on my heel and make a beeline for the car.

"Oh, _hell_ no."

I only get a few steps before Edward rushes in front of me to block my path.

"Bella, wait. Listen to me."

I narrow my eyes at him and cross my arms over my chest because he still looks like he's choking on his laughter. He holds his hands up in front of him as if seeing his palms is going to somehow calm me down.

"Just... trust me, okay? I've been up there more times than I can count. Hundreds of times. It's completely safe. Do you really think I'd ask you to come up there with me if I thought you'd get hurt?"

I'm almost positive that the tiny look of hurt that flashes across his face is a farce, but it works anyway because I've never seen him pout before. His lower lip juts out just a little and his shoulders sag as he walks closer to me, putting me eye level with his sagging shoulders. And his arms. And his pecs. And...

"_Damn_, you fight dirty."

His face morphs into a stupid happy smile.

"Does that mean you'll go up with me?"

I remember what he told me in the car about wanting to bring me here and try to swallow down the fear that's coaxing my lunch back up my throat. I think of how badly I've wanted to spend time with him. Even _before_ I met him. And the feeling of excitement he gives me that I've never felt before. With a sigh of defeat, I shake my head at him.

"There'd better be alcohol in that cooler, Cullen."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**I'm pretty sure Creeperella tried to climb Waveward like a tree, yall. Before they even left the villa. That hoe. **

**Added visuals on my profile page :)**

**One more update tonight. Maybe. I think. Don't hit me. **

**~jada~**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Unbeta'd. You know the deal. Also, is it too late to say how I don't own Twilight? You guys knew that, right? Because I'm not Mormon. Or composed enough to meet Rob and not catch a serious charge. Anywho... shall we get up on that roof now, herrrrm?**

Prompt: affair

**BPOV**

"I... am _going to die._"

I say it with finality so I can begin to accept my fate.

"You're not gonna die, Bella, but this cooler isn't light. Wouldn't you feel bad if _I_ fell?"

"Oh no, mister! You don't get to rush me. I'm on the ladder, aren't I?"

I yell my words at the rusted metal in front of my face because glancing down at him isn't an option. I could totally lose my balance and plunge to my death.

"Bella, you've made it ten rungs up in almost as many minutes."

Hearing him say it out loud – while trying not to crack up laughing - makes it sound pretty pathetic. I decide I don't care and tighten my grip on the bars on either side of my face.

"Uh uh. I can't. Whatever it is, let's just do it here."

Now he does laugh.

"Isn't the place you're staying at, like, twenty stories high? How are you afraid of heights and staying there?"

"First of all, I'm not _afraid of heights_."

I hear a scoff from below and continue.

"And second, it's not like I'm in a penthouse. I'm staying in a villa. It's much closer to the ground. I'm simply uncomfortable scaling an old rusty shed that may or may not be capable of supporting our weight. And, you know, we aren't all used to defying gravity, fly boy. Most of us are – _oh my god_, did the building just move? The wind just blew, Edward, and the building moved. We have to get down. We have to -"

"Okay. This is crazy. Let's go."

I move my leg to climb down at the same time that I feel Edward rise up and press against me from behind. I freeze in place and tighten my death grip on the bars. With his right arm hooked through the handle of the cooler, he grabs hold of the ladder on either side of my face and leans in close to my ear.

"There's no way in hell I'm gonna let you fall, Bella. If this ladder couldn't hold up under the weight of us both, it would've already given out. And _even then_, from this height it would be like falling out of bed. Now - when I move up, you're gonna move with me."

I don't realize just how petrified I_ really_ am until I look up toward the roof.

"That is high as _fuck_, Edward. What the hell is up there that's _this _important anyway?"

I'm vaguely aware that we've traveled one rung higher as he leans in and whispers in my ear.

"I like that. Say it again."

My voice quivers as we climb another rung.

"S-say what?"

"_Fuck_, Edward."

_Holy shit._ He whispers it in my ear with more emphasis than I put on it. I exhale shakily and he _has_ to feel it against his chest. We're pressed as close together as we can get. Well, maybe not the _closest_ we could get. Our hands and feet move in unison as we continue up the ladder, but I barely notice with his voice in my ear.

"You wanna know why I call you Starfish?"

It's all a big distraction technique to get me up the ladder, but hell if I care. I need him to _never _stop whispering in my ear. And for him to maybe say 'fuck' again.

"Why?"

"That night we met? The first time I ever saw you? I was coming out of the water and I thought I was seeing things. I called out and you didn't answer. So I walked closer and saw you lying there on the chair, half dressed and curled up on your side. I actually thought you were passed out. Or maybe dead."

After a short, breathy laugh, I focus on his voice and the way he dips his chin down and rests it on my shoulder for a second. We climb even higher and he picks his story back up.

"When I was a few feet away from you, I called out to you again and it must have startled you. It wasn't enough to wake you up, but you flipped over onto your back and threw your arms and legs out all wide over the sides of the chair. Scared the shit out of me."

A louder bit of laughter bursts from me and I can hear the smile in his voice as he continues.

"I started to leave, knowing you were okay, but I didn't. I don't know why but I just... wanted a closer look at you. So there I was – looking down at this girl... spread out on the beach and fast asleep like the palest, most beautiful starfish I'd ever seen."

Edward leans over and sets the cooler on the rooftop, but I'm so caught up in his story that I can't even react to being here. He props his forearms on the hand rails of the ladder on either side of me.

"I hadn't even realized I'd gotten that close until you woke up. And you know the rest of the story."

The sense of accomplishment that surviving the climb brings me, as well as the crippling embarrassment I feel about my hysterics, are overshadowed by my surprise at his story. I smile at the thought of him watching me as I slept, feeling less like a stalker knowing he kinda sorta did the same thing. Then I realize how creepy it sounds (like I have room to talk) and can't resist teasing him.

"Tell the truth. You were checking to see if I was experiencing any wardrobe malfunctions in that bikini."

He laughs as we climb onto the roof, grabbing the cooler and duffel bag as I stand – very, _very_ carefully.

"Don't laugh. You could still turn out to be a beach dwelling perv. I don't know that much about you."

Terrified of busting my ass, I break out the 'airplane arms' I learned in gymnastics when I was four. Balance beam, rusty roof – it's all the same, right? When I'm confident enough to take my eyes off of my feet, I look up at him. I get the impression that he's entertained by my survival technique because he's doing that whole lip tucking thing to contain his laughter but sobers and offers me his hand.

"Yeah well, I'm working on that part."

I retire one of my wings to take it, proud as shit not to be clinging to that ladder anymore and more than ready for my reward.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Edward leads me by the hand to the far side of the roof where he stops to pull a blanket from his bag. His concentration is adorable as he spreads it out a few feet from the roof's edge, straightening out the corners so they're flat and smoothing it out so there's no wrinkles in it. It's then that I notice the once colorful but now faded red, gray and blue design on the blanket.

"Transformers?"

"I've had it since I was a kid. And it was the thickest blanket I could find. Well, besides the comforter on Lee's bed but I'm pretty sure she would've murdered me for taking it."

I follow his lead and settle beside him on the blanket. He pulls two bottles of beer from the cooler, popping off the caps and passing one to me. I accept it and stretch my legs out in front of me.

"Good thinking. She doesn't need another reason to hate me."

He sets his bottle down between his legs and leans back, flattening his hands on the blanket behind him and shaking his head at me.

"She doesn't hate you. She just..."

"Dislikes me?"

"She doesn't know you to dislike you. It isn't even about you – the way she acts. Not that it makes it okay or anything, but the last year's been pretty shitty for her. She's not really herself right now."

He's not being harsh, but the way he defends her makes me a little jealous. It's irrational, I know. He's only trying to be a good friend to her and help me understand. I want to ask about why the last year has been hard for her, but I don't want to overstep so I don't. Whatever Rosalie's problem is, there has to be something redeeming about her if someone like Edward thinks she's worth the hassle. I shrug and smile at him.

"It really isn't anything I'm not used to. A lifetime of living with Renee will thicken your skin."

He spins one of the bottle caps between his fingers.

"What about your dad? Was he the same?"

"Charlie? No, he was nothing like Renee is. She's always been more aggressive in everything she does. And Charlie was always pretty quiet, really. But they just worked together. Mom... she wasn't always the way she is now..."

I trail off, trying to find the words but also hesitant to say them. I decide that he wouldn't ask if he didn't care. And maybe it would be good to say it out loud.

"She changed after she found out about Charlie's affair. He left us and I remember her being quiet. So quiet... for days. And then once she came to, she was just this different person. A harder version of who she used to be."

Snapping out of my memories, I turn to see him looking at me pointedly.

"Then you get what I mean about Lee. I promise you that she's a good person underneath what you see. She's just lost right now. She'll come around."

"She's lucky to have you, Edward. Really. I don't know a lot of guys who would care as much."

"Well, maybe you're hanging out with the wrong kind of guys."

I just smile and shrug, because he has no idea how right he is.

"What about your parents? If you don't mind my asking?"

"No, I don't. Uh... I don't know. I guess just your typical parents. My mom's a teacher and my dad was a cop. They weren't hard asses, but I didn't get away with much. I had a good childhood. We were happy."

He looks down at the bottle cap and his smile fades.

"My mom had a hard time after dad died and she moved back to her hometown. She still visits or I'll go up there to see her sometimes, but living here in the house... she just couldn't do it anymore."

I don't ask what happened to his father. If he wants to go there, he will. Deciding that the conversation has taken serious enough of a turn, I set my bottle down and lean back to match his position.

"Well I must say... this is a_ mighty_ fine field. All this and beer and a blanket, too? You _do_ know how to show a girl a good time."

"Very funny, smart ass."

"No, no. I'm serious. It's the nicest of all the fields I've ever been to. And I can barely feel the scratch of old fleece against my ass."

He laughs and looks down at his watch, then abruptly reaches out to take both of our beers and slip them back into the cooler.

"Hey! I wasn't done with that."

"Relax, woman. I'll give it back. Come here. Lay down."

He drops onto his back and folds his hands beneath his head. I stare down at him with raised eyebrows.

"Uh... you're gonna have to ply me with a lot more than half a beer if you think I'm gonna-"

"Bella?"

"What?"

"Shut up and lay down? Please?"

He's looking up at me with the cutest smirk on his face and I want to smother it. With my mouth. But I resist and play along, lying down beside him and resting my hands on top of my stomach. This is definitely not what I envisioned when he asked me to go on a date with him. The few guys I've gone out with all took me on the usual dinner or movie date. I should have known that Edward would be completely different in his approach. I wonder what Renee would say if she could see me right now. She'd probably drag me down from here and march me straight to the hospital for a tetanus shot. And file a restraining order against Edward. I look over at him just in time to see him glance at his watch again.

"What in the world is going on, Edward? What are we waiting for?"

Just as I ask him, I hear a sound in the distance. It's faint and I can't quite make it out, but I listen closely and it seems to be getting louder. I lock eyes with Edward and he's watching me knowingly, like he's waiting for me to put the pieces together. The sound grows from a dull buzzing to a loud whirring and it only takes a second longer for it to click.

"Oh my god, Edward! Is that... are we...?"

I move to sit up, but he grabs me by the wrist to stop me.

"No, not yet."

"Why?"

He slides his hand down to cover my own and gives it a light squeeze.

"You'll see. Just watch."

He nods his head back toward the sky and I follow suit. The sound grows louder and louder and closer and close.r He must sense my anticipation because he slips his hand into mine and links our fingers.

"Look up. Don't take your eyes off the sky."

His words, nearly inaudible over the loud whirring sound, cause excitement to bubble in my chest and my heartbeat accelerates. I start breathing faster, but don't move, remembering his words from earlier and deciding to let go and trust him. I look down my nose and can see it coming now. I kick my feet a little and squeal, feeling my pulse begin to rush. And then a shadow climbs up the front of us and the noise becomes so loud that it's almost like silence. For a few moments, everything moves in slow motion. Just as the plane flies over the top of us, its nose jerks upward as it snatches itself away from us and higher into the sky. My hair flies around my face and I squeeze Edward's hand tighter, vaguely aware of the sound of my own laughter. The plane ascends and that's when I see the banner. It's massive and white, billowing through the air and eclipsing everything. The sunlight. The sky. The clouds. The tree tops. Everything. There are large black letters across it but I don't even try to make them out.

I turn to look at Edward and find him already watching me. For what can only be a few seconds, but feels like several minutes, we're shrouded beneath a giant shadow together. Just the two of us. All I can hear is my breath in my ears and all I can see is the beautiful boy beside me, his eyes trained on me like I'm the only thing he can see. Like the wonder above us isn't happening. He smiles at me and we look back to the sky just as the end of the banner snaps through the air and the plane pulls it farther up and away from us. As quickly as it began, it's over. The sound of the plane's engine fades into the distance and everything seems to snap back into real time.

"Oh my god! Edward! That was... amazing!"

I laugh – loudly. It echoes across the field and feels_ so_ good to do. I'm still trying to catch my breath when he turns to look at me.

"You like?"

I smile up at the sky and close my eyes.

"You did good, fly boy. You did good."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Don't worry. The plane was high enough not to put them in any danger. I'm terrible with numbers and distance and measurements and shit though, so I thought I'd spare you. The blanket is based on one my brother had & I couldn't find a pic. I'm sure you got the idea lol**

**See you tomorrow :)**

**~jada~**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sans beta, as you know. Sorry for any confusion about the banner. There was no significance to it. Waveward wasn't giving her a message. He's a to-the-point kind of guy anyhow, ya know? ;)**

**Just to recap, Waveward picked B up for their first date and convinced her to climb to the roof of a building by whispering naughty-like in her ear. They then watched a banner plane fly directly above them. This is actually much more awesome than I managed to describe it. We pick up right where we left of. Be sure to read the previous chappy so you'll understand a few references!**

**~whispers~ Play 'I Go To The Barn Because I Like The' by Band of Horses while you read this first part. If you wanna... Js... ;)**

prompt: (none from now one because I failed that Witfit task good & proper)

**BPOV**

It turns out that we're on the roof of an old hangar that's used for storage now. It's in a field just beyond the runway of a small airport used primarily by banner pilots and the occasional private plane. Edward assures me that the building is very much up to code and, while it doesn't do much to comfort me, I force myself not to care right this second. The excitement of what he's just shown me is still too fresh. I'll save that particular panic attack for when it's time to climb down.

"How long have you been coming here?"

He pulls his knees closer to his chest and wraps his arms loosely around his legs, looking out over the field in front of us as he answers me. We've somehow ended up close enough to one another that his thigh brushes against my knee as he does so.

"For a couple of years now. I found it one day back when I was training. I was the newbie so they stuck me with the dirty jobs. I had to haul parts and whatnot back and forth for the first few weeks. Anyway, I got curious when I'd hear the planes overhead, so I climbed up here and just... never stopped coming back."

He glances at me and I'm beginning to recognize his small shrug as something he does when he's talking about himself. For as confident as he is, there's a genuine modesty there as well. It's a rare attribute and very endearing. I lean my shoulder into him and revel in the slight pressure he pushes back with.

"Well, I'm glad you brought me here. That was amazing, Edward. Thank you."

He answers with a small smile and I return it. The sun is lower in the sky now, leaving behind streaks of yellow and pink across the horizon. The light paints Edward's profile golden, simultaneously highlighting and shadowing the angles of his face and making his eyes even bluer. Being this close to him causes my stomach to twist in anticipation.

A glint from his neck catches my attention. Once again, his necklace is tucked into his shirt, but this time I decide to act my curiosity. I extend my index finger and lightly rub it over the small section of chain that I can see, looking to him for permission. He glances down at my hand and nods, so I hook the tip of my finger under the box chain and slowly pull it from beneath his shirt. It's warmed by his body heat and I'm positive it must be the single luckiest piece of jewelry on the planet.

I pull the pendant free and let it come to rest flat on my open palm. It's round and silver, too. About the size of a dime, it shows the image of a man wading across water, a staff in hand and a small child on his back. A memory tugs at the back of my mind from when I was younger. From before everything went so wrong.

"St. Christopher?"

"You know it?"

I scoff at the surprise in his voice before plastering a wide, excited smile across my face. "I saw it once on a trip into town. And sometimes, when we adjust the bunny ears just right, we can even get cable!"

He shakes his head at my sarcasm and laughs. "Now who's the smart ass?"

I laugh lightly with him and explain. "My grandmother on my dad's side is Catholic and she had all these creepy statues of saints over her fireplace. They used to freak me out as a kid." I rub my thumb over the pendant as I try to recall its significance. "Saint Christopher, patron saint of..."

"Travelers," he says looking down at my palm, where his gaze stays as he speaks. "My dad had one just like it that my mom gave him when he became a cop. The job didn't exactly fall under traveler, and we're not even Catholic, but it was about the sentiment. She gave it to him to keep him safe, in her own way. And after he died, before she left, she gave me my own. Made me promise never to take it off."

I remember how I've yet to see him without it on. How it was one of the first things I noticed about him. "And you don't."

He looks into my eyes now, a gentle conviction to his voice. "No. Never."

He drops his chin to rest on his bicep, bringing his face closer to mine and looks up at me with the sexiest smirk. I tuck my hair behind my ear and look away when the temptation to climb him becomes too great.

"So what is it that you really wanna be doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, instead of Cornell."

I can't stop the curve of my lips at the very thought of it. I have to look away from him again when I start to lose my train of thought though. We're sitting so close and damn, he's handsome - ridiculously so - and it's distracting. Especially when he hits me with the eye contact and genuine interest in what I'm saying. I don't speak about this very often. And any time the topic comes up with Renee, it's in the form of an argument – one that's become easier to avoid than engage in. But here, with him, my usual hesitation is nowhere to be found. I can't help it...I wrap a smile around the words.

"Marine biology."

"Why am I not surprised? The ocean? Get out."

I slap his arm with the back of my hand and he laughs.

Feeling a surge of excitement and feeling silly for it, I keep my eyes locked down on a few loose strings coming from Optimus Prime's face.

"When I was twelve, my parents took me to Hawaii on vacation. Well, really it was for a medical conference my dad had to go to for work, but Renee wanted us to make a family thing of it or whatever. Anyway, the hotel was advertising this scuba camp thing for kids and I asked if I could go. I just didn't feel like lying around by the pool all week with my mom while Charlie worked, but it ended up being this _insane _thing! I got to swim with sharks and stingrays. I rode a dolphin and fed whales and just spent the entire day in the water." I laugh through my nose. "I think I was the only kid there actually paying attention to everything they were trying to teach us about marine life and the ocean. I was just...absolutely fascinated. It took me completely by surprise. After that, I devoured anything I could find on the subject. I still do."

He just stares at me with a thoughtful look on his face, but doesn't say anything. The silence drives me crazy though, so I break it.

"What?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing...just... Well, don't take this the wrong way, but how can you stand not going after it?"

I know exactly what he means. It's not as if I haven't had this silent argument with myself before. I shrug, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation is headed in.

"I don't know. New York isn't so bad. I'm lucky, really."

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I'm slapped with the realization of how insulting they may sound to him. If he takes offense, he doesn't show it. He nods and I'm grateful that he doesn't push me on the subject, but chooses instead to provide the levity like only he can.

"You know, since I – and I quote – _did good_, do I get a reward?"

I narrow my eyes playfully at him and lean back an inch or two. He holds his hands up in mock surrender and shrugs. "Hey – your words, not mine."

"And just what did you have in mind?"

"Well..." Inching himself closer to me, he rests his arm on my leg so that his wrist curls around my knee. He gently coaxes me to rest my leg over his thigh and slowly brings his face closer. I close my eyes, lost in the sensation of his cheek against mine. I lean into him as he drags the side of his lips down my cheek and stops at the corner of my mouth. Eager to have his lips on mine again, I turn into the almost kiss but meet only his jaw as his mouth rises up to my ear. "...you could tell me about my nickname."

My eyes fly open and I shove his chest while he dissolves into laughter.

"Dick!"

Leaning back onto one elbow, he laughs through his words.

"No, no." _Laugh. _"Not dick." _Laugh._ "Poseidon." _Laugh._

I shake my head at him and smile, trying to stay serious and losing the fight. "Oh, I'm really not telling you now. No way."

Somewhat sober from his laughter, he sits up. "_What?_ That's not fair. I told you about yours!"

Feeling satisfied by the shift in power, I flip my hair over my shoulder and cross my arms over my chest. "Yeah, well, that's what you get for teasing, buddy."

"Teasing? Oh no, Bella. No teasing."

Before I know it, he lunges forward. With a half-squeal, half-laugh, I find myself pinned beneath him in the most unexpected and glorious way. Our legs tangle and he holds himself above me on his forearms, my hands clutching his biceps. Though he's being careful not to crush me, what I can feel of him pressed against me causes my laughter to fade into shaky breaths. He swallows, his eyes fixed on my mouth. Anxious for him, I lift my head as he lowers his. Just before our lips touch, I feel his thumb graze over my earlobe and down the side of my neck. The pressure of his mouth causes me to rest my head back against the blanket and I want...more. I angle my mouth against his and I get it.

More.

Deeper.

He moans as his tongue brushes mine and his fingers weave into the hair at the crown of my head. I react with a whimper, cupping his face and lightly biting his bottom lip when I realize he's pulling away. He kisses me again, a gentle peck, and backs his head away.

"Tell me? Please?"

He fights dirty. So dirty. Like, with pleading eyes and rubbing his lips against mine kind of dirty playing. But I won't go down quite that easy. I might be on my back, but there's no way I'm tapping out.

"You know, I kinda like this leverage I have. I think I'll hang on to it for a while."

Unexpectedly, his smile falters for just a second. "A while, huh?"

Confused, I search his eyes, but then he seems to realize what I'm doing and smiles down at me again, wickedly this time. "You know, I have a feeling this story is gonna be_ gooooood._ I can just tell by the fear in your eyes every time I ask."

He laughs again and damn it, he's got me there. The adorable jerk. Catching him off guard, I push on his shoulders and roll us until he's underneath me. My hair hangs around our faces like a curtain and I waste no time in kissing the hell out of him. For the second time.

Because I know how he likes even numbers and all.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW how much I suck for how long this update took. Believe me, I know. Please don't hate mehhhhh! A pic of Waveward's necklace is up on my profile if you're interested. Not much happening here, but the plot moveth along, I promise you. This chappy was supposed to be longer, but I had to end it here. It just didn't make sense not to cut it in half. Sorry! The next one will be up tomorrow!**

**RIP, Just4ALE. You were taken entirely too soon and will be painfully missed. God bless you and keep you, baby. **

**~jada~ **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Beta-less. Not much to say here, so...yeah...hmm. Okay then... **

**BPOV**

_You still alive over there? -E_

_Kill me now. ~B_

_It can't be THAT bad. Your mom is marrying him so there has to be something likable about the guy. -E_

In the past week, I've filled Edward in on Renee and William's announcement and the subsequent circus of fanfare. I've stuck to the bare minimum though. Enough of my time is wasted on them as it is. Time I could be spending doing something more enjoyable. Like kissing Edward. I'm surprised my lips are still attached. The circulation in these suckers is better than it's ever been. The few times we've been alone together since the hangar last week have been far too brief, but not at all lacking in effort on our part. Even still, first base is getting old. I can't wait to be _alone_ alone with him.

I decide to maybe focus and text him back before he thinks I've blown him off.

_Discovering his redeemable qualities (if any) would require my remaining in the same room with him longer than I'm personally comfortable with. ~B_

He doesn't respond as quickly this time, but I swoon a little at his adorable concern.

_What do you mean? He isn't bothering you, is he? -E_

_Why? Are you gonna come to my rescue in your doorless chariot? ~B_

I laugh to myself as I hit send, knowing that he won't take offense to my joke.

_Smart. Ass. -E_

_I just mean that he's a tool. A pretentious but harmless tool. ~B_

_You could always sneak away. Your doorless chariot awaits... -E_

The thought of Edward and the shit show that is my mother, her fiance and their hoity-toity friends being in the same room together makes me nauseous. It would surely send him running for those hills he was afraid I'd head for. I peek out from around the corner of the hallway I'm hiding in to talk to him and see Renee glancing around the crowded room, probably wondering where her spazz of a daughter has gone off to.

_It doesn't look good, but I'll keep you posted. ~B_

_I'll be here. -E_

"BOO!"

Jumping a few feet in the air, I scream and spin around to see a very smug looking Seth. Adrenaline from being startled cancels out any rational thought I have and I act reflexively. I grab one of his nipples through his dress shirt and twist as hard as I can. "You asshole!"

His shit eating grin is replaced with a grimace of pain as he tries to pull away from my fingers. "I was just kidding around! Let go!"

Neither of us is being mindful of the volume of our voices, but I barely notice. I squeeze harder before letting go and he stumbles back, both of his hands guarding his injured nipple. "You almost gave me a heart attack, dickbag!"

"So you give me a _titty twister_?!"

I seriously consider going for the other one when a throat clears from behind me. _Shit. _I turn around and am met with Renee's signature 'You're a crushing disappointment' look. The engagement party is still in full swing and only a few people standing closest to the hallway were witness to our display, but I still feel like a kindergartner caught fighting on the playground.

"Sorry, Mom."

"Sorry, Ms. Swan."

Renee uses the fierce glare of her eyes to tell me to get my shit together before returning to William's side by the massive fireplace in Seth's parents' colossal great room. The whole house – if you can call a dwelling of this magnitude a house – is absolutely immaculate in both design and décor. I've been here a few times since I've met Seth and I still haven't seen the entire thing.

I turn around and am about to lay into Seth – quieter this time – but the wounded expression on his face as he lightly rubs himself over his shirt causes me to point at him and crack up laughing. "Wuss."

"Shut up! This shit hurts! I seriously have no feeling in it, Bella! It's numb! You... you killed my nipple!"

"Shh or you'll get me in trouble again! And you deserve it for sneaking up on me like that!"

"All I did was startle you a little and you assaulted my man peak?!"

"You're such a girl."

"Oh, look who's talking." He abandons the nurturing of his nipple to bat his eyelashes and smile down at an imaginary phone as he mime texts and giggles.

I gasp and point at him. "You nosy bastard! You were spying on me!"

He laughs and leans against the wall behind him. "Only for a second, I swear. So, who's E?"

I _almost_ tell him. Since meeting him almost two weeks ago, Seth has been pretty cool to hang out with. He's different from the other people our age I've met in the circle I've been forced to travel in. Sure, he's spoiled and dresses like a prep school quarterback from an eighties movie, but he's a good guy. He isn't snooty and plastic like the rest of them. _He wouldn't judge Edward, right?_ In the end I bite my tongue, feeling too unsure to risk it.

"Nunya."

"_Nunya?_ Seriously, Bella?"

I roll my eyes and lean on the wall next to him. "He's none of your business is who he is."

"Fine. Whatever. Keep your secrets."

We both look over as William says something that causes the group of people around him to break into boisterous laughter. _Ugh._ Without taking his eyes off of the scene, Seth leans a little closer to me.

"So, are you gonna call him Daddy now?"

I cover his mouth before I twist his other nipple.

**.**

**.**

**.**

The next morning, I plop down into my chair across the breakfast table from Renee and pick at my fruit salad while she wraps up her phone call with who I'm assuming is the wedding planner. There's talk of monogrammed cloth napkins and seating charts and cake testing. Renee looks happier than a pig in shit. The comparison makes me snort to myself and Renee hangs up just in time to catch it.

"And what are we so tickled about this morning, Isabella?"

I shake my head at her and swallow my orange juice. "Nothing."

"Would that nothing have anything to do with Seth Webber?"

I choke on the chunk of pineapple I just popped in my mouth and talk through my chewing.

"Fwhat errvoo chalkin bout?"

Renee disgustedly flings a napkin across the table to me. "For God's sake, stop talking with your mouth full. You weren't raised by savages."

I strongly object to that statement, but choose to keep it to myself.

"I meant," Her eyebrows do this bouncy thing that kinda scares me. "You and Seth. You two certainly have been seeing a lot of each other."

My blank stare does nothing to discourage her insinuation.

"You can't be serious right now."

"Oh come on, you can tell me. Don't think I haven't noticed you staying out so late at night. And all the mystery texting you've been doing all of a sudden." She nods to where my phone is sitting on the table and waits expectantly.

I open my mouth to set her straight, but stop when I realize what a golden opportunity has been dropped into my lap. Renee actually thinks I've been off with _Seth_. Once I work through the grossness of that idea, I wonder just how wrong it would be of me to let her think this. I mean, it could cut me a rather lengthy amount of slack where spending more time with Edward is concerned. I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of Renee ever accepting him, so what's the harm in a little white lie to keep from having to expose him to that? All I'd have to do is not correct her, right? It's simply a matter of wording.

"Um... I'm totally _not_ talking about this with you, Mom."

I hold my breath, hoping that I'm giving off the impression of being embarrassed over her calling me out. It works. Renee's smile is self-satisfied and giddy as she makes the gesture of locking her lips and throwing away the key. Her phone rings and she walks away as she answers, leaving me to wonder if it could really be _that _easy.

I pick up my own phone and type out a quick text to Seth.

_I need a favor. An epic one. ~B_

_Die, Nipple Nazi. -S_

_I'm serious, Seth! Meet me at the club in 20? ~B_

**_._**

**_._**

**_._**

"So you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?"

"No. I mean, not really. Just neither confirm nor deny, okay? I'm not sure if Renee will blab to William or your parents, but just in case be... I don't know. Be vague."

"And you're just letting her assume that we're lovers?"

"Yes. And don't say lovers. You're creeping me out."

"Partners?"

"No. Just-"

"Mates?"

"No, Seth!" I laugh, unable to help myself. "No labels. No elaborating at all!"

He regards me closely, seriously, for a long moment. It's strange to see him this thoughtful. He's so goofy and hardly ever serious, so I fidget a little in the silence. Suddenly, he smacks the top of the table we're seated at in the yacht club and smiles.

"You're a strange girl, Bella Swan, but I'll do it."

"Thank y-"

"Under one condition."

Warily, I cross my arms and narrow my eyes at him. "What?"

"You tell me why. The truth."

I look out the picture window beside us and sigh, knowing that it's the least I can do. "I met a guy."

"E?"

"Yes." I smile at the thought of him. At the fact that we _finally _have plans and I'll be seeing him in just a couple of hours when he gets off of work.

"And why exactly is it that you can't tell Renee about him? What is he, deformed or something?" A look of surprise crosses his face before he leans in and whispers. "Is he _old_? Do you have a sugar daddy, Bella?"

I swing my open palm at him, but he jumps laughing back before it lands.

"No, you jackass. It's nothing like that. It's just... He's not someone that Renee would approve of. He isn't from the same world we are-"

"You mean he isn't loaded." He doesn't say it snootily. It's just who Seth is. He's stating a fact.

"Right. And I know that she wouldn't understand that it doesn't matter to me. It's new, you know? I haven't known him for very long, but... He's special, Seth. And she just wouldn't understand."

"Maybe if you gave her the chance to..."

"No. Trust me, she'd lose her shit."

"And you're sure that he's worth all of this blowing up in your face? Because I'll tell you right now – it's going to."

I crumple a napkin and throw it at him. "The only way that'll happen is if _you _blow it, Seth. And I just need some time to see where it's all going without worrying about my mom breathing down my neck."

"Okay, but don't say I never warned you. However, I'll play along in the meantime." He claps his hands and rubs them together. "_Now_ – let's talk perks."

"No perks, Seth."

"What?" His voice gets disturbingly high-pitched. "I'm compromising my values for you and I get nothing in return?"

"First of all, you don't have any values. Secondly, what kind of_ perks_ are you talking here?"

"A little over-the-sweater action?"

My only response is to stand up from my chair. "Goodbye, Seth."

"What? Where are you going?"

I turn to face him and walk backwards. "I'm leaving before I assault your man peaks again. And remember – you're my alibi for tonight. I smile wickedly just to mess with him. "Maybe even all night."

I walk out the door, cackling at the shocked face of the hostess when Seth scoffs and yells, "Hussy!" from behind me.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Ut-oh. Old Beller is makin some moves. Are they wise ones? Eh. She can hardly be blamed when motivated by Waveward's bawdy though.**

**Speaking of ol Wavey, he was scarce here but Seth can be pushy and needed to be heard this chappy. Plot and storyline and all that smack. The next one is coming right behind this one! PROMISE THIS TIIIIIIIIIME!**

**~jada~**


End file.
